1,000 Followers Giveaway WINNER!

My 1,000 Followers Giveaway closed on Wednesday and today I get the joy of announcing the winner!

Firstly, thank you to those who took time to enter the giveaway! I honestly thought there would be more entries but on the plus side, the entries I did get had less competition and higher odds of being chosen!

AND THE WINNER IS…

Nadine from https://nadineblewett.wordpress.com/ 

As mentioned in the rules of the giveaway post in order to choose the winner I selected my five favourite entries based on adherence to the rules and general blog engagement. From there I assigned each entry up to three numbers (depending which platforms each person entered on) and the date of their comment.

I drew up a page in a notebook and recorded all the entries. The names with the asterisks beside were my five favourites. Further down the page I wrote a list of the five names and their assigned numbers.

The number generated ranged from 1-13 (as not everyone entered across all three platforms). I then used Google’s random number generator to select the overall winner!

I will be in contact shortly Nadine and I aim to package everything up and ship it off as soon as possible!

Thank you to everyone for their support during the giveaway and all of the nice words written about me and my blog. I loved seeing which product everyone was most excited to win!

A big thank you to the other four entrants who made it into my top five; I wish I could send all of you a prize ❤

Congratulations once again to a deserving winner!

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Redhead Rambles #35

Hello everyone and welcome to ‘Redhead Rambles’. The series does what it says on the tin, it is a redhead (me) rambling about her week. I share what I’ve been up to each week, how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been listening to or watching. Occasionally I will my share favourite blog posts and links I’ve found useful or interesting.

• Last Friday was a lazy day, I try to have at least one during my days off if I can haha! I didn’t sleep in, I didn’t get dressed and had a phone call with my brother in the evening.
• The weekend weather was glorious, the sun was out both days. Saturday had a chill in the air but Sunday was warm.
• On Sunday after work I mowed 1/2 of the lawns.
• I placed a kikki.K order – their stationery is so cute and really good quality! I purchased a mini calendar for my mum; she likes to get one every year, a notepad, a holographic mug and inserts for my Filofax for 2019.

• On Tuesday I saw two cute dogs sitting in cars, one on my way into work and another in a car in the supermarket car park.
• I also placed a Makeup Revolution order and purchased two palettes, the Blush Queen palette for myself and another surprise palette for my blog giveaway (I did mention some extras). I am a little nervous for the Blush Queen palette as I don’t wear much pink on my cheeks but I’m hoping because these are shimmery they will be ok. I can always try the shades on my eyes as well.
• I reached 1,000 blog followers! (Finally!) To celebrate I am running a giveaway which you can check out by clicking *HERE!*
• I worked extra on Wednesday and didn’t get afternoon tea so I was starving by the time I finished work. I was naughty and got Burger King on the way home. I got a cheeseburger thrown in for free that I didn’t even order – thank you kind person on drive thru!
• I didn’t sleep in on Thursday. I spent the morning thinking about blog posts for October.
• I washed a couple of makeup brushes and my makeup sponge.
• I removed my chipped nail polish, the remnants of the rose gold shade I shared on Instagram last week.

What I’ve been listening to:

Claire Richards – End Before We Start – Claire is one of my top 5 vocalists of all time and she released the official second single from her upcoming album – swooping love ballad End Before We Start – last Friday.

Rita Ora – Let You Love Me – Rita Ora announced her highly anticipated second album will be released in November and this song was released as her new single alongside the news. Rita has a cool vibe and I really enjoyed her debut album. I have followed her music since.

How was your week?

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[CLOSED] 1,000 FOLLOWERS GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway has been at the forefront of my mind for a long time and over the past couple of months I have been so excited to launch it!

Before I get into the rules and what you could win, I want to say the BIGGEST thank you to everyone that reads my posts and takes time to like and comment. Over the past four years my blog is one thing that has remained constant and I am incredibly proud to reach 1,000 followers.

I am equally as excited to run this giveaway as I am for the winner to receive their prize! I have put together a mixture of beauty, skincare and lifestyle bits. In regards to the makeup items I opted for shades I think will suit a range of people and products I like and enjoy using.

The giveaway is open internationally for 3 weeks from 06:00am (NZST) September 26 2018 until 23:59pm (NZST) October 17 2018. THIS GIVEAWAY IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT FOLLOWERS OF MY  BLOG AS AT THE COMMENCEMENT DATE. Anyone who follows my blog after this date will be eligible for future giveaways but I wanted this one to be special for my existing followers and readers.

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The Prize:

(I will list each item and the reason I have included it in the giveaway).

• NYX Intense Butter Gloss 3 Piece Set – Bright lip colours are my jam and this is such a pretty set. The three shades included are Pink Macaroon, Summer Fruit and Cherry Custard.
• Rimmel 103 Lipstick – Rimmel is one of my favourite brands and they do lipstick well. 103 is a lovely light pink shade.
• MAC Satin Lipstick in Craving – MAC lipsticks are beautiful and the Satin finish is a perfect cross between comfort and long wearing colour. Craving is described as a neutral plum and it looks similar but slightly darker than Syrup by MAC which is one of my all time favourites.
• MAC Sized To Go Pigment in Naked – I did a poll on Twitter asking if people would prefer to win Naked or Melon and Naked was the winner. Naked is described by MAC as a fleshy beige with pearl.
• L’Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara – I purchased a tube of Lash Paradise earlier this year and holy cow it is amazing – the hype is real! I purchased Lash Paradise online but New Zealand stores sell Paradise Extatic so you’ll be getting a bronze tube instead of a pink tube.
• Zoeva Cocoa Blend Voyager Palette – When I made my Beauty Bay order I picked up two of these mini palettes, one for myself and one for the giveaway. You get a mix of mattes and shimmers and this is a great little palette if you haven’t tried Zoeva or the original Cocoa Blend palette before.
• Zoeva Voyager Travel Brush Set – This set contains four mini makeup brushes housed in a little travel pouch: Concealer Buffer brush, Luxe Crease brush, Luxe Smoky Shader brush and Brow Line brush.
• The Body Shop English Dawn Gardenia Body Lotion – This scent is gorgeous and feminine and after using the body butter and loving it I wanted to pass my adoration for the scent onto someone else. ‘Lose yourself in a sumptuous blend of enticing tuberose and hundreds of English white gardenias.’
• The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Cream – I admit I was going to keep this one for myself but I have plenty of other hand creams and if the scent doesn’t return this year you’ve got your hands on it!
• Boohoo No Snag Hair Bands 4 pack – Who doesn’t love cute hair ties?!
• Stationery (mostly from kikki.K) – Pen, sticky notes, stickers, notebook elastic with pen loops, cat notepad and cable tags to keep cords tidy.
• Various product samples
• PLUS some extras! (not pictured)
  

All items are new and unused. Where possible I have opened the items to check they are not broken or damaged, e.g. the Zoeva palette and the MAC lipstick.

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To Enter:

Blog:

• You must be following me via WordPress or email.
• Leave a comment on this post with which platforms you have entered the giveaway on alongside your Twitter and Instagram usernames. Let me know how I can contact you if you win.
• In your comment also tell me which item you’d be most excited to receive and why you enjoy reading my blog.

Twitter:

• Follow my Twitter account and ‘Like’ this tweet.

Instagram:

• Follow my Instagram account and like this photo.
  

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The Rules:

1. All entrants must be aged 18 or over at the start of the giveaway.

2. Giveaway is open worldwide.

3. Entries solely through Twitter and/or Instagram don’t count. You must be a follower of the blog as well. Twitter and Instagram entries are bonus entries ONLY.

4. Winner will be chosen by me based on adherence to the rules and general blog engagement.

5. A shortlist of my 5 favourite entrants will be drawn up and from there each entrant will be assigned a random number/numbers based on the date they comment on this blog post. For example, if someone comments on this post on September 30 and I shortlist them they will be assigned number 1. If someone comments on this post on October 2 and is shortlisted but they also follow me on Twitter and ‘Like’ the linked tweet they will be assigned numbers 2 and 3 as they follow my blog and are eligible for a bonus entry. I will then use a random number generator to determine the winner. If all 5 entrants on the shortlist enter across all 3 platforms the number generated will range from #1 to #15.

6. The winner will be announced on Monday October 22 2018.

7. After the announcement the winner will have 7 days to contact me and claim their prize. If the prize is unclaimed a new winner will be chosen.

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If you have any questions regarding the rules of the giveaway or want to clarify something, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Good luck everyone and thank you for all the support over the past four years! ❤

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Second Look Inside My Bullet Journal

Back in January I purchased a Bullet Journal and a couple of weeks later made my first YouTube video showing the pages I had created so far. Fast forward a couple of months and I thought it was about time I updated you on my progress and how I’m using the journal.

I have filmed another video for you (yay!) and it’s basically me talking you through each page since the end of my first update/video. The first video ended at page 12 and this video talks through pages 13-30.

Since there is the video I don’t want this post to be long and a re-hash of everything the video covers but I will share a few points:

• I have decided one page is best for my weekly spreads. There’s enough room to jot down ideas everyday and the spreads are neat and tidy.
• My bullet journal is where I am keeping track of the Products I Want To Finish In 2018. I have drawn up a grid and listed all the products and months in the year. Each time I use a product it gets a tally mark.
• I wrote down a hard copy of my 30 By 30 list because I really want to achieve as many things on the list as I can and I will date each one when it is completed.
• One of the 30 things I want to complete is to watch every episode of Poirot. I drew up a TV series tracker with all of the episodes and each episode gets a cross when it is watched. I was feeling arty so I had a go at drawing Poirot’s moustache and I think it turned out well. I am so proud of the page I had to share a picture of it!

The Poirot page in all its glory!

I hope you enjoyed this post and the video – as always, thank you for reading!

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First Peek Inside My Bullet Journal

On January 2nd I bought myself a Bullet Journal. On New Year’s Day I was looking at different layouts, watching YouTube videos and reading blog posts on how people use theirs. I do have a weekly planner but I use that more for appointments. My aim for this journal is to use it to house organised lists (called ‘collections’ in the Bullet Journal world) and write in it every day – how I’ve been feeling and what my day has been like etc.

MY bullet journal equipment:

1. Leuchtturm 1917 Hardcover Medium Dotted Journal (Navy) – The journal is close to A5 size. I originally wanted a black journal but shops were sold out. The last shop I went to had navy, red, light blue or green. I went for navy as it is closest to black.

2. kikki.K Slim Ballpoint Pens 5pk – kikki.K stationery is lovely and they always have packs of these pens in cute designs. Lots of people like to use fineliners or calligraphy pens but quite often they bleed through the pages. Ballpoints don’t do that and I already had this set of pens so I figured I would use them up.

3. kikki.K Notebook Elastic – The bullet journal doesn’t have a pen loop but this elastic has space for two pens and fits perfectly around the Leuchtturm. These elastics are made to fit A5 and A6 notebooks.

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I filmed a video showing the pages I’ve created and how the key and index works. I figured it would be easier to include a video rather than write a post with lots of pictures. I was very nervous about the video and I hope it’s okay. Enjoy!

I thought it would also be helpful to include some tips in case you wanted to start your own bullet journal:

• Decide whether you want dotted pages, lined pages or blank. I knew I wanted dotted. I can’t write straight on blank paper and dots help keep things tidy when you’re doodling and ruling lines.
• A key and index are essential.
• Keep it simple!
• Don’t plan all your pages at once. Allow for spontaneity.
• Be sure to number your pages or get a journal with numbered pages (like the Leuchtturm!)
• Watch YouTube videos and use Pinterest to search for layout ideas and collections* to include in your journal.

*Collection = Every topic in your journal on it’s own page, e.g. gift ideas, goals, reminders, recipes, blog post ideas, places you’ve visited. The more you journal the more you’ll learn what you want and come up with your style. The page numbers of each collection are added to the index so you can flip through and easily find them.

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Feel free to leave any questions and let me know if there’s something you’d like explained further. Thanks for reading/watching!

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Final Haul of 2017

The last time I went shopping on Boxing Day was 2015. My brother and I ventured out early and there were people directing traffic to prepare for the influx of shoppers. In 2016 I worked on Boxing Day and in 2017 I was adamant I didn’t want to go shopping as I had to get up early for work the next day. Two days after Boxing Day though, my brother and I did end up hitting the shops. I didn’t spend much and everything I picked up was on sale!

NB: I visited a MAC counter with the intention of picking up some travel sized pigments but the shades I wanted were out of stock. Had I known full sized pigments were on sale I would have considered purchasing one or two since MAC is NEVER on sale.

Here’s what I did buy:

1. kikki.K Glass Vases 4pk: Love Life

I put these vases on my Christmas Wishlist and I was so happy when I saw them in store for 50% off! The colours are even nicer in real life and the vases are so dinky! Each vase could hold a few flowers but they also make cute decorations. To give you an idea of how small the vases are they are 50mm (5cm) high.

2. kikki.K Cards

I like to have backup cards for birthdays etc. so if one rolls round unexpectedly I’m prepared. I also believe you don’t have to spend a lot to get a nice card. I bought three cards, one cost 50 cents and the other two cost $2.50 (NZD) each. At those prices they’re a steal!

3. Glassons Boxy Cardi

Clothing is something I don’t need but I couldn’t resist this cardigan. The cardigan is more cream than white and I like the way the boxy style sits on my short frame. The straight cut suits my shape and the 3/4 sleeves are a plus, often full length sleeves are too long on me. The material is soft and fluffy and reminds me of my cat. (Yes, I did just write that sentence. I’ve said the same thing aloud too). I have worn the cardigan already and it will be a staple piece during the seasons between summer and winter.

4. Virgin Mojito Body Butter 50ml

I had a $10 off voucher from The Body Shop and it was my brother who liked the smell of this and made me stop and notice it. I hadn’t paid much attention to the Virgin Mojito range before but I know it is being discontinued so I wanted to try this body butter while I had the chance. I will use it when I stay at my boyfriend’s and my current 50ml body butter (Strawberry) runs out.

5. Almond Milk & Honey Shower Cream 60ml

A couple of years ago I reacted to the Shea shower cream and my legs haven’t ever been the same. My skin has always been sensitive but I can’t actually use shower gels or anything when I wash as it will react. I’m pretty sure that’s down to SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) which is the soap ingredient and what makes lather. I can only use soap when I wash my hands. I bought the travel-friendly size shower cream as SLS isn’t listed as one of the ingredients and this range is suitable for sensitive skin. I can’t try this out for a little while as I currently have heat rash – I won’t be able to tell if it’s making a difference to my skin until the rash clears up and I can try the shower cream on my normal skin.

6. English Dawn Gardenia Body Cream 200ml

The Body Shop is also discontinuing their Voyage fragrance ranges and these items were 40% off. I recently finished up my big 200ml body butter and had intended to use body lotions as I have a ton of those but this scent was calling out to me. The floral scent is lovely and not too sweet or strong. This is a body cream as opposed to a butter and the product feels silky smooth in the tub, the texture is less set and malleable if that makes sense. This body cream is luxurious and I urge you to try this range or test it in store before it disappears!

The three Body Shop items came to a total of $32.70 (NZD) with the 40% discount and the $10 off voucher applied.

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What did you buy in the post-Christmas sales?

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Redhead Rambles #1

Hello everyone and welcome to the first post of my new series ‘Redhead Rambles’. The series will do what it says on the tin, it will be a redhead (me) who rambles about her week. Ramble means I will be sharing what I’ve been up to that week, how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been listening to or watching. Occasionally I will share favourite blog posts from fellow bloggers and articles I’ve found useful or interesting.

• Last week I had a few headaches and felt a little nauseous and I wonder if it was a result of the extra sugar and chocolate I’d been eating over Christmas. I have felt better this week.
• I watched a film with my boyfriend on New Year’s Eve called Our Kind of Traitor and it was excellent! A couple find themselves lured into a Russian oligarch’s plans to defect. They are positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust. It’s not the usual type of film I go for but it was really interesting and one I’d watch again.
• I welcomed 2018 in by watching fireworks. Did you do anything to celebrate?
• The Royal Variety Performance for 2017 left me disappointed. I don’t find Miranda Hart funny and the lineup wasn’t as good as other years.
• On New Year’s Day I stumbled across a post on The Anna Edit about her Bullet Journal and planning tips. I’d watched Lily Pebbles’ video about her Bullet Journal a few weeks earlier and thought the concept seemed fun. I have a planner where I write appointments and things I’ve got to do but it’s not a place where I can keep organised lists and have structure without being confined to a weekly layout.
• On Tuesday I went out and purchased my own Bullet Journal! I spent most of the afternoon researching layouts, watching YouTube videos and journalling. I’m thinking of doing a blog post about my Bullet Journal in the coming weeks so you can see what I’m using it for and the journal and stationery I’ll be using. Most of this week has been spent obsessing over my Bullet Journal to be honest.
• Wednesday was my first day back at work for 2018 and it was SUPER BUSY! It was the library’s equivalent of Boxing Day sales.
• The Christmas tree came down.
• I got my fringe cut. I can’t wait to get a proper haircut but I have to wait for the shortest layer to grow. I want to go back to my hair being all the same length, I’m over layers.
• The weather has been rainy and dull this week which I really enjoy. Everything feels cosier.

What I’ve been listening to:

Steps – Tears On the Dancefloor – My favourite album of 2017 and my favourite band. It seemed only right to play it on New Year’s Day.

The Wanted – Word of Mouth – I don’t listen to as many boybands as girlbands but I felt like playing this album this week. It has some great pop tracks and uptempo songs.

ABBA – Gold – I was introduced to ABBA as a child by my mum and I have loved them ever since. This album is a classic and every so often I’m in the mood to listen to it.

How was your week?

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Gratitude Journal: December

gratitude
/ noun
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

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December went by tremendously fast and looking back over some of these highlights they don’t seem like they were only a couple of weeks ago. December mainly involved shopping, eating and felt quite hectic if I’m honest. The holiday break at the end of the month was nice and it meant I could wind down and get ready for the new year.

Here’s what made me smile in December:

December 1: Rose gold nails.

December 2: Watched the Santa parade after work.

December 3: So much sleep today.

December 4: Smashed out 50 squats after not doing them in forever.

December 5: Bought OPI’s Tiramisu For Two.

December 6: Sugar Plum by Revlon is so pretty.

December 7: All caught up with I’m a Celeb, gutted Vanessa is out.

December 8: I liked the rain today.

December 9: Nachos for dinner.

December 10: Put up the Christmas tree.

December 11: Pretty Little Liars is back.

December 12: Started another Poirot book.

December 13: Purple lip!

December 14: Fun evening getting ready to go shopping.

December 15: Ate too many Celebrations chocolates but I enjoyed them.

December 16: Reunited with him.

December 17: So proud I didn’t nap this afternoon.

December 18: FaceTime chat with my brother.

December 19: Wore a sparkly cardigan.

December 20: My good vibes playlist picked me back up again.

December 21: Love my Christmas nails!

December 22: Work breakfast and Secret Santa gift exchange – I got pink makeup.

December 23: Sweetcorn for dinner.

December 24: Relaxed day involving lots of reading.

December 25: Received lovely presents and had a nice day.

December 26: Big sleep in.

December 27: Got complimented on my lipstick; Show Orchid by MAC.

December 28: Highest number of daily views on my blog since it started back in 2014!

December 29: Omelette for breakfast.

December 30: Why are leggings so comfortable?

December 31: Pizza and movie night.

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What were you grateful for in December?

P.S. Please let me know if you want these posts to continue in 2018.

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Gratitude Journal: November

gratitude
/ noun
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

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November feels like it was more of a slower pace compared to some other months this year. I started watching a couple of new shows and finished a few others. The weather is definitely warming up (bring back the cold I say) and I made a start on my Christmas shopping. I’ve pretty much just got my boyfriend left so any suggestions for gifts are welcome!

Here’s what made me smile in November:

November 1: Looking forward to my sleep in in the morning.

November 2: Had a fun afternoon shopping.

November 3: Naked Attraction is becoming a guilty pleasure. I blame Zalfie.

November 4: Sparkly pink lips!

November 5: My lunch was so yummy; pie and chips.

November 6: The final of Doctor Foster was gripping.

November 7: Rocked a red lip!

November 8: Loving a smokey eye lately.

November 9: Did some Christmas shopping online.

November 10: Chilled kind of productive day all in one.

November 11: Revlon’s Black Cherry lipstick was a winner with the boyfriend.

November 12: Apple crumble for dessert.

November 13: Good mail day!

November 14: One of my Christmas presents arrived; the Morphe Copper Spice palette.

November 15: Won a prize in Lotto!

November 16: Started a new book.

November 17: Painted my nails using Bahama Mama by Essie.

November 18: Nice to wear a skirt for a change.

November 19: Pizza is a good time.

November 20: Dannii For Target clothing day.

November 21: Wore my hair in a bun.

November 22: Glitter lips.

November 23: When you’re frustrated and your boyfriend makes you feel better.

November 24: Getting into I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, mainly watching for Vanessa.

November 25: My Shania Twain album bundle finally arrived.

November 26: Quick road trip with the boyfriend.

November 27: Bought Dua Lipa’s album, been listening on Spotify but it’s nice to have my own copy.

November 28: Helped with a computer class at work, the people were very appreciative.

November 29: Agatha Christie mystery on TV.

November 30: iTunes clean ups are so satisfying.

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What were you grateful for in November?

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Gratitude Journal: October

gratitude
/ noun
the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

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It seems as though October has been a cross between online shopping/spending and reading books. My brother came down for a long weekend and we ended up going shopping which also resulted in me purchasing things. I was good on the makeup front thought, I only bought one eyeshadow. October flew by so fast and I can’t believe it’s only two months until Christmas!

Here’s what made me smile in October:

October 1: One year exactly since I saw Ellie Goulding in concert.

October 2: Zayn Malik’s voice is gorgeous.

October 3: Did over 13,000 steps today!

October 4: Fish and chips for dinner.

October 5: Getting my hair done always makes me happy!

October 6: Ordered another pair of dungarees.

October 7: When Claire Richards likes your comment and replies on Instagram.

October 8: Afternoon of reading.

October 9: Loving Sunny Seoul from MAC lately.

October 10: Una (from The Saturdays) liked my birthday tweet to her!

October 11: Cute wake up call from my cat.

October 12: Mary-Lou arrived!

October 13: Big Little Lies is good. 

October 14: A MAC Show Orchid day.

October 15: When your boyfriend makes dinner for you.

October 16: I love finding new books to read!

October 17: Leftover pizza and garlic bread for lunch.

October 18: Pink Opal by Max Factor is really very pretty.

October 19: Today’s makeup was on point!

October 20: So happy with my dungarees, only took three tries!

October 21: Watched an Alan Carr comedy show on TV, he is so funny!

October 22: Bought some cute craft paper.

October 23: Left over butter chicken for lunch.

October 24: My signed copy of the Steps album re-release is on it’s way.

October 25: Bright pink lip day, I have a lot of those!

October 26: Listened to some music throwbacks today: Vanessa Amorosi and Adam Rickitt.

October 27: Spent most of the day in bed, it was cold.

October 28: Got to see my favourite person after a week!

October 29: Sitting with a warm blanket makes me feel cosy.

October 30: Pink sparkly eyeshadow matches ones of my scrunchies. 

October 31: My Feel Unique order finally arrived! 

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What were you grateful for in October?

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