Christmas Magic- My Christmas Favourites- #The12Letters| Carenza Bramwell

Welcome to the final day of #The12Letters, hosted by BooksNest and FictionTea. I can't believe it's already over. I want to start this post by thanking Beth and Lauren for making this challenge, it's been so much fun and has spread Christmas cheer in a year when we really need it. Today's prompt is yay! I've interpreted this by deciding to share some of my favourite things about Christmas. It's not my usual content, but like this challenge, we could all use some Christmas cheer.

Decorations

If you've been following me on any of my social media sites, then you might be sick to death of me talking about how much I love decorating my house for Christmas. Trees are the main way we decorate. This year we have three. First is the main family tree, filled with decorations collected over the years. We have never been a big Christmas tree theme family, so all our decorations are once we've purchased to symbolise the year. It adds a story to the tree and makes it feel a bit more unique to our family. Then I have my baby tree in my room. I've had this since I was born, like the big tree, I've collected a decoration for every year since I was born. Finally, we have another small one in my mums room. This is going to become a new thing we do. Decorating the house is fun, it's something we all look forward to. Just adds a bit of magic to the place we call home. 

Food

Like most people, one of my favourite things about Christmas is the food. It's one of the few times a year when you get to eat a bit naughty and have some extra nice treats. When I was a child, we used to have traditional Christmas'. We would rotate between various relatives houses and have a chicken, with all the trimmings. We haven't done that in a very long time. Recently, as it's just been me and my parents, we have party food and pizza. It is one of the more unusual things to have at Christmas, but it's become our little tradition.  

Entertainment

I actually wrote a blog post all about this, which I will link here. To expand on this a bit, I love the seasonal viewings. Christmas Doctor Who specials were a highlight in my household. I have noticed in the last few years that there is less and less to watch on Christmas day. Nevertheless, I treasure the memories of watching Christmas day specials. 

Christmas Eve  

I have to admit that I actually prefer Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. The reason is that Christmas Eve is my dad's birthday. We've always made the two very separate. I just enjoy getting to celebrate my dad and make the day special for him. We do have a big meal on his birthday, which means when Christmas rolls around the next day, we tend to have a much smaller meal, hence the party food and pizza. I know some people would be sad having their birthdays so close to Christmas, but we've always taken it in our stride and make it just as special as if it was to fall on another day. 

Those are some of my favourite Christmas things. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Carenza :) x

Christmas Stories- My Favourite Festive Books and Films #The12Letters| Carenza Bramwell

Welcome to Day 9 of #The12Letters, hosted by BooksNest and FictionTea. Today's prompt is stories, so I thought I would share my favourite festive books and films. Christmas is one of my favourite times of year and over the years, I have collected a lot of favourite Christmas stories. 

Books

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

I read this last year after seeing emmmabooks rave about it. This is a retelling of the Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (which I'm hoping to read this year). As the title suggests, it focuses on the afterlife of Holly Chase, who in her alive life was horrible and cruel, dying very young. She is then forced to work at Scrooged, a modern day program that recreates the ghosts visit on that years "Scrooge". All of this changes when this years Scrooge is a boy Holly's age and she has a chance to save him. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked this up, but ended up really enjoying it. It's a cheesy holiday book and if you're looking for something fun this Christmas, I'd recommend it.

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

This is a historical magical realism novel. Set during the Great War (WW1), it focuses on this magical toyshop. It is predominately set at Christmas. It's very difficult to summarise without giving away essential details. The magical qualities of the toyshop and the writing are so beautiful that you'll want to visit. I think I am in need of a reread of this one as I don't think I appreciated it as much as I should the first time around. If historical fiction and magic are things you enjoy, then I'd recommend this one.

This Winter by Alice Oseman

For fans of Alice's Heartstopper series, Alice has released a Christmas novella. It was released digitally in 2015, but is now available in paperback for the first time. It takes place at Charlie and Tori's house on Christmas. We get to see what a Christmas is like with them. It's a cute little novella set in the world we already know and we get to visit our favourite characters. In the newly released paperback version, it has some brand new illustrations from Alice. 

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove

Okay, I might be cheating by including this as I haven't finished reading it, but as I'm enjoying it so much, I knew I had to put it on this list. This is a new Sherlock Holmes adventure by James Lovegrove, one of the many authors to write a Sherlock Holmes story. As you guessed it, this one is indeed set at Christmas time. Holmes and Watson are employed by a young woman to investigate some seasonal spooks at her family castle in Yorkshire. I've read about 100 pages of this and can't wait for the next chance I get to jump back into it.

Films

Love, Actually

Yet another Christmas classic that Christmas wouldn't be complete without. I'm sure I don't need to explain what Love, Actually is about. If you are looking for a feel good British Christmas comedy, then look no further. I have lost count of how many times I've watched this film. It has some truly iconic moments in it. 

Anna and the Apocalypse 

This is quite possibly my favourite Christmas film of all time. Imagine La La Land and Shaun of the Dead had a Christmas baby. It's funny. It's got musical numbers. It's got zombies. It's set at Christmas. What's not to love? I could go on and on about how much I adore this film. If you decide to watch or read one thing from this list, then let it be this one!

Happiest Season

Again, I am cheating as I haven't watched this one yet. This is more a shoutout as this film is a gay Christmas film. Again, what's not to love? From the trailer, it looks funny while tackling a serious issue. It also has an amazing cast, such as Kristin Stewart, Daniel Levy, Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza. I'm planning on watching this very soon and I have a feeling I will love it.

Those are some of my favourite Christmas stories. I hope you find something on here for you!

Carenza :) x 

Bookish Christmas Decor- #the12letters| Carenza Bramwell

Welcome to Day Two of the #the12letters challenge, created by the wonderful Beth of BooksNest and Lauren of FictionTea. This is a challenge across any social media platforms, using the twelve letters in Christmas Day to create prompts for creativity. Today's prompt is "home" and for home I will be sharing with you some of the best bookish Christmas decor out there. For more like this, check out my Instagram post which features my bookish home decor for the festive season. 

Taken from Google Images

A quick google search will let you know that there are indeed book themed Christmas ornaments out there. You two can make your Christmas tree as bookish as possible. All items will be linked in their descriptions.

We bookworms are usually against our precious books being turned into decorations, but this Book Fold artwork will add some magic to your home. There are so many items like this and not just for the festive period. Items like this are usually made from books that are going to be recycled due to age and it gives them a chance to be reused. 

Another creative way to use books as ornaments is to turn them into little statues, like this Snowman Ornament. Again, made from recycled books, it's another way to upcycle something and give it life again. He would make a rather jolly addition to any bookcase!

For the comic book fans, look no further than these recycled Christmas heart ornaments. Add something extra geeky to your Christmas tree. I have a very similar decoration that I will feature on my Instagram later toady. 

Taken from Google Images

If you are looking for inspiration that doesn't require buying these items, then look no further! I have a couple of ideas just for you. Firstly, you can always make a Christmas tree out of books. This trend began a couple of years ago and has resulted in some rather fictitious festive Christmas trees. From what I know, it's best to start with big books on the bottom and then get gradually smaller. You can add lights and decorations afterwards to make it the ultimate book Christmas tree.

Taken from Google Images

Something else you can do is decorate your bookshelves for the festive season. This year, I have tinsel on my display shelves in my bedroom and I've been keeping my Christmas cards on my bookshelves in my office. It adds a little bit of festive joy without going over the top.  

That concludes my post on Bookish Christmas Decor. I hope your Christmas is filled with delightful decorations and beautiful books!

Carenza :) x

Christmas and Student Life| Carenza Bramwell

It feels strange to be writing this, but this is my final Christmas as a student. I graduate next summer, which is also strange to be thinking about. As this is my final Christmas as a student, I thought I would share my honest experiences about what it's like to be a student during the festive period. From workload, to finances and packing tips, I think after three Christmas', I've got this nailed. 

You might be thinking that Christmas is no different from any other time of years for students, but I'd say that it's quite difficult. It's a stressful period due to academic and financial pressures. The aim of today's blog post is to share my honest experience and reassure my fellow students that Christmas can still be fun as a student.

Workload

Obviously, I have to preface this with this is going to be entirely based on my experiences as a student. This will link to my course and therefore I cannot speak for other courses. I am going to try and be as broad as a I can. Like most things in life, everything is unique to the individual and this is unique to me. 

Christmas is usually when the first term ends for most students. It can bring a lot of stress with it, as it means winter exams and deadlines are just around the corner. I have found that I have had a lot of work to complete the last two Christmas', but I have also managed to have some time away and spend time with my family. It's highly unlikely that as a student, you are going to be sitting around at Christmas with no university work to do. 

My tip would be to come up with some kind of schedule or set time you can do work. This will mean when you do want to spend time with your family, you won't have that awful workload hanging over you. This is my first year as a student that I don't have deadlines in early January as my workload has been pushed back to the end of the month. This doesn't mean I won't have work to do. As a final year student, I have a lot of work to do for my assessments. I have plans to take Christmas Eve to Boxing Day off and then New Years Eve and Day off. This give me deadlines to meet with all my university work. 

It can be tempting to relax more during the Christmas holidays, but by making sure you get work done, it means there will be less stress further down the line. If you have time to do a bit of extra work, do it! This is something I'm hoping to do this year so when I go back to university in January, I'll have done some of the work that's been looming over, making next term as stress free as possible.     

Finances

Another concern for students at this time of year is finances. Christmas is undeniably expensive. I feel the pressure each year, especially as I have my dad's birthday in December as well. My number one tip, one that might seem fairly obvious, is to set budgets. For my family, I spend around £40-£50 on each of them. My best friend and I, as we're both students, set price limits for each other to make it even and not a strain on our bank accounts. I've done Secret Santa with my housemates the past few years and we've always set budgets. Budgets are really your best friends as students as it's amazing how far you can make your money go while still being able to treat yourself every now and then.

Another tip would be to take advantages of any sales you can. It may only save you a fiver, but that's £5 more than you would have had. Due to the Pandemic, I bought all my Christmas presents a lot earlier than normal and took advantage of the Black Friday Sales. It meant I saved a little bit on my presents, which was a huge relief. 

Obviously, it's a bit different this year for students to go out and get jobs. For some, this isn't an option. I have a part time job that I work on a zero hour contract through my university and due to the current situation, I haven't had many shifts. If you can get work from home jobs and this fits with your lifestyle, then I would highly recommend it. 

I think it's important to remember that Christmas isn't about the gifts. If you can, buy something second hand or make something. It's always the thought that counts. 

Packing

My final section of student and Christmas life is about packing to go home. If, like me, you live away from home for university during term time, then packing is something you dread. This year especially as students in the UK have no idea when they will be allowed to return. 

My first tip would be to pack based on priority. I always pack my clothes first if I can. I'm very lucky that for the past two years, I have been able to steal the families massive suitcase to lug my clothes between home and university. I personally take the clothes I know I'm going to wear, which does end up being the majority of my clothes. Do I end up wearing all the clothes I bring home? No. But it's nice to have the option to if it arrives.

The next section I pack are my university essentials. I study Creative and Professional Writing, which means I have a lot of essential books I need to bring home. I always make sure I've packed those first as I can live without my books for fun as I have ones I want to read at home. I like knowing that I have everything I'm going to need to continue my studies. 

Packing by section makes an overwhelming task manageable as it spreads the work out into bite size chunks. It is difficult working out what you should and shouldn't take home for Christmas. I've always gone home for five weeks at Christmas which means I take a lot of stuff home with me. Each year, I have approached packing this way and made it a manageable task. 

I hope this blog post has portrayed what it is like to be a student at Christmas in an honest a way as possible. It is tough being a student and having work to do while wanting to spend time with loved ones. I hope this helps any students reading this.

Carenza :) x 

The Joys of Christmas Book Tag| Carenza Bramwell

As it is now December, a month I love unconditionally for the festivities, I thought I would to a Christmas book tag. I found this one online and it was originally made by Samantha at Novels and Nonsense on BookTube. 

My Christmas tree two years ago

1) Anticipation: The Christmas Excitment is Real, What Book Release(s) Are You Most Anticipating?

I don't actually know many books coming out in 2021, but the fourth instalment in the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman is coming out in early 2021. Alice is one of my favourite authors and I will always buy what she releases. If you are a fan of YA Contemporary novels, especially ones that tackle LBGT issues, I'd recommend Alice's books. The Heartstopper series is an adorable graphic novel series about two British boys falling in love.

2) Christmas Songs & Carols: What Book or Author Can You Not Help But Sing It's Praises?  

Without a shadow of a doubt, a book I will go on and on about is Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. It is one of my favourites from the last few years. I wasn't the biggest fan of Blood and Honey, but Serpent and Dove really stole my heart. I haven't read anything like it since I first joined the bookish community in 2016.

3) Gingerbread House: What Book or Series Has Wonderful World Building?

It would be a crime if I didn't choose Cassandra Clare's book. The world she has built across all these series is so detailed and fleshed out. It's a real treat as a reader to be able to explore a world across so many series from one author. 

4) A Christmas Carol: Favourite Classic or One That You Want to Read

I'm not a big classics person, so I'm going to bend this prompt slightly. Rather than pick a traditional classic, I'm going to pick a childhood classic and say His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is a book I want to read. I never got into the hype as a child but with the most recent TV adaptation, I would highly consider picking up the books.

5) Christmas Sweets: What Book Would You Love to Receive for Christmas?

Honestly, I would be happy to receive any book for Christmas. But one that is quite high up is The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow. I really enjoyed her other book, The Once and Future Witches, so I would love to read some more from her. 

6) Candles in the Window: What Book Gives You That Warm Fuzzy Feeling?

Before all the JKR controversy, I would have said Harry Potter but now it doesn't feel right saying that anymore. I can't think of anymore that I've read and haven't already mentioned that give me that feeling. I am a sucker for a good romance, when it's well written. I want invest in their relationship. I think I'm going to have to cheat and pick any that have a good relationship in. 

7) Christmas Trees & Decorations: What Are Some of Your Favourite Book Covers?

Here are some books that I've purchased recently that have really pretty covers, but aren't necessarily my favourite covers of all times:

8) What Are Some of Your Favourite Things About Christmas And/Or Some of Your Favourite Christmas Memories?

Christmas is a really special time in my family as it's also my dad's birthday on Christmas Eve. We've always made a big deal of making them separate occasions but we do go all out for both. We also have a tradition of buying a new decoration for the tree every year to symbolise the year, but that's something I'll explain more in a future blog post. I love that my family makes such a big deal of Christmas and it's something I intend to continue for the rest of my life.

I hope you enjoyed this book tag and it got you in the festive mood!

Carenza :) x 

  

All I Want for Christmas Book Tag|CarenzaOnBooks

As it is the Friday before Christmas and this will be my last blog post before Christmas, I figured it was the perfect time for a Christmas book tag and I found this on Stephanie's Book Reviews Blog, click here to read her answers to this tag.

1) What Fictional Character do you want Santa to Leave under your Christmas Tree?

I am torn between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, my two favourite characters in the Harry Potter series. I have to admit that I am leaning more towards Lupin as I feel you could have a better Christmas with Lupin as he is the more sensible of the two. 

2) What Character do you want to Kiss under the Mistletoe? 

Having recently reread Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I have fallen in love with Scorpius. It wouldn't be a romantic kiss though. I would love to have him as a brother as he is very nerdy and shy like me.  

3) You Write your Christmas List for Santa, What are the Top Five Books on it?

I'm assuming these are books that aren't out or that I don't own, so:

1. Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
2. A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab 
3. Harry Potter Boxset with cool spine art
4. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
5. Dan And Phil Go Outside

4) It's Secret Santa at Hogwarts, What do you Most want to receive?

I would love to receive the Marauders Map as I've always loved the idea of having a map of Hogwarts. I also love the design of it from the movie as it looks really vintage.

5) You get to spend the day with the characters and movie adaptation actors from one fandom, what do you pick? 

Obviously, the Harry Potter fandom! I love that fandom to death!

6) What Fictional Animal do you want to replace Rudolph with and be able to meet on your roof?

I would love to replace Rudolph with either a Niffler or a Hippogriff, I love both of them equally.

7) You Invite 10 fictional characters to your New Years Eve Party, who do you pick?

1. Hermione Granger
2. Scorpius Malfoy
3. Remus Lupin
4. Rubeus Hagrid
5. Harry Potter
6. Jem Carstairs
7. Julian Blackthorn
8. Kit Herondale
9. Tessa Gray
10. Jane Eyre

8) What Character would make a good Santa?

I think Hagrid would make a great Santa as he has a really caring personality and he looks like he would be a good Santa.

So that concludes my All I Want for Christmas Book Tag! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it) and I will see you on the other side of Christmas!

Carenza x

Harry Potter Gift Guide- Christmas 2017| CarenzaOnBooks

As it is the big day exactly one week today, I thought that it would be a good time to post my Harry Potter Gift Guide. As a huge Potterhead myself, I know this is something I would definitely check out.  I've tried to think of some things that are outside the box as well as some well-loved items.

Books

I think it's a fairly obvious one to start with, but there are some beautiful editions of the Harry Potter books to buy the Potterhead in your life. Here's a list of my favourites:

• Illustrated Editions
• US Paperback with amazing Spine Art
• Anniversary House editions
• Juniper Books- You can get a boxset or just dust jackets in all the houses.

Christmas Decorations

My Christmas Tree with my Ravenclaw Ornament

The Harry Potter Studio Tour (London) has some amazing Christmas pieces on their website at the moment. They have Christmas stockings for each of the houses, Hogwarts themed one linked here. They also have house specific ornaments for trees, on my last visit to the Studio, I bought the Ravenclaw one for my tree as I have a tradition of buying ornaments. Here is the link to the website. 

Homeware

If you are anything like me, then you will love decorating your house with Harry Potter themed items. I have quite a few and I love adding to my collection. A great place to get stuff from that isn't inexpensive is Primark. While they don't have a website you can order from (correct me if I'm wrong), there are quite a few stores dotted around. I will say that most of the items are Gryffindor or Slytherin themed, so bear that in mind. If you are based in the states and have a bit more to spend, then I know that Teen Pottery Barn has an amazing collection. You can literally buy the Mirror of Errised. 

Anything from Etsy

Etsy is a phenomenal website as you can literally get anything from it. There are a lot of unique and inexpensive items on it. Here are just a few of my favourites:

• Harry Potter Characters as Cats on a mug- Click Here.   
• Vintage Style posters- Click Here.
• Framed Film Cell Display Board- Click Here. 
• Animal Pun Coasters- Ravenclaw Linked Here.

DIY Gifts

In all truthfulness, the best gifts are homemade. I'm sure there are tons of DIY Harry Potter gifts out there, all you need to do is google it and you'll find the perfect gift for the Potterhead in your life.

I will probably do an updated version of this next Christmas as I had a really cool idea, that unfortunately, I didn't have time for this year. I hope this helps you get the Potterhead in your life the perfect gift.  

Carenza x

Winter Recommendations 2015| It's Carenza B

Hello!
So as my summer recommendations is my most read post, I thought I would do one for Autumn/Winter to spice things up. Again like my summer one it will be split into 3 categories of beauty, books and bits'n'bobs.
Enjoy!

Beauty

The first winter recommendation I have for you is a scent and if you have read my October Favourites post you will already know how much I love the Glazed Apple range from the Body Shop. It is this lovely sharp Apple scent and is perfect for this time of year. I love how long this stays on for as I apply it at about 8 in the morning and I can still smell it at 10 in the evening.

Glazed Apple Body and Room Spray

Next is also a product I featured in my October Favourites, which is an eye-shadow palette from Sleek. It has my 3 go to gold eye-shadows for this time of year and the pigmentation is insane. The palette is called Vintage Romance and have really cute names. This palette also has some really pretty purples in it which I want to have a go at wearing.

Sleek Vintage Romance Palette

Meet in Madrid, Court in Cannes and Lust in LA

For Blusher I have two very similar shades I love wearing at this time of year and they are both from the drugstore. One is from Sleek and the other is from Bourjois, they're both a rose gold shade but the Sleek one is more coral toned than the Bourjois one. Both have amazing pigmentation but my favourite is the Sleek one.

Bourjois 33 Lilas D'or and Sleek Rose Gold

Again we have something from my October Favourites which is a lipstick from Sleek. It's the beautiful red toned purple and is perfect for this time of year. Sleek, in case you haven't guessed, is a brand I rate highly and I would recommend you get your hands on some Sleek makeup. The lipstick is in the colour Dare.

Next, we have something for your hands as they can get very dry at this time of year. It's the Body Shop Almond Hand and Nail Cream. It smells like marzipan and leaves your hands feeling really smooth. 

Almond Hand Cream 

For eyeliners I have two, one is drugstore and one is high-end. The first one I got from a glossy-box, it's a lot lighter than the high-end. The drugstore one is from the brand MeMeMe and it is in the shade Clay. The high-end one is from Urban Decay from their Naked on the Run palette last year, it's a miniature of one of their 24/7 Glide On eye pencil in Stag. It goes on a lot easier than the MeMeMe one and I have used it more than the drugstore one.

Top- MeMeMe in Clay
Bottom- Urban Decay in Stag

Left- MeMeMe
Right- Urban Decay

My favourite face mask at this time of year is the Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask. This is the only face mask I use. At the slightly pricey cost of £10, this mask is the best I've tried. It literally warms your face and gives it the feeling like it's doing something. Although slightly scary when it comes out, there are noticeable results.

My two favourite nail colours are two dark purples. One is from Bourjois in the colour 34 violine hypnotique and the other is from Illamasqa which I picked up at TK Maxx in the colour Charisma. I prefer the Bourjois one as it is better quality, I wore them both for a week and the Illamasqa one chipped really badly. But they're both lovely colours.

Left- Bourjois
Right- Illamasqa

For hair-care, I love the Tresemme Moisture Rich Luxurious Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner in these massive bottles. They leave your hair feeling silky smooth for days. I had never tried anything from Tresemme before but now I will definitely be trying more.

Finally, we have a hair masque from a Swedish Brand called Maria Nilla. I received this in the September Glossybox and I have nearly used it all up. It is used to bring out your natural hair colour and make it better. I can tell this has been working for me as I have dyed my hair before and am letting it grow out, and the roots of my hair are a lot blonder than before.

Books

My first book Recommendation is a classic and is the Sherlock Holmes Series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I love Sherlock (the TV Series) and have dipped it and out of the books, but I feel like this time of year is perfect to start reading it.

Next we have a modern book which I mentioned in my October Faves and it is The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester. You already I know how much I love this book so I won't go into detail.

Again we have another book you know how much I love and this is the Harry Potter Series, I've been banging on about this for ages you guys must be so bored of me mentioning it. I do genuinely love the series and have been re reading it for the 1000th time.

Finally, we have a book that I also mentioned in my October Faves, which is Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass. I am going to write a review on this and it will hopefully be going up soon. All I will say for now is that it is amazing and you need to read it.

Bits'n'Bobs

First in my Bits'n'Bobs category is bobble hats. I love hats, but I feel like hats don't love me as I have been struggling to find hats that fit me all my life. When I  was in Marks and Spencers recently and found these two hats that fit me I obviously had to get them. 

Next we have my beloved Miss Selfridges scarf which I think I mentioned in my October Faves. It's this massive checkered scarf that can act like a blanket on long car/ train journeys.

Obviously I had to put a candle in here, although not a Christmas scent I love this scent as it's really fresh and just lovely to burn. Don't worry, I'll be getting a Christmas scented one soon.

Next we have Christmas magazines, the ultimate way to get into the festive spirit is by reading them. I have a home and interiors one and a craft one. I love both equally.

Finally we have my well beloved jumper from Marks and Spencers, it's a deep red wine colour. It's super thick and warm, the sleeves are slightly cropped and it is quite a lose jumper but it still manages to keep you warm. I have been wearing this all the time and love it so much.

So those are my winter recommendations, I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to follow my blog and follow me on my social media accounts (Instagram and Twitter @itscarenzab). If you have any Christmas suggestions email me on my business email itscarenzab@gmail,com. I had planned on doing blogmas, but unfortunately I don't have the time this year but I do have some Christmas post ideas floating round.

Love

Carenza x 

  

  

  

October Favourites 2015| It's Carenza B

Hello!
So here is my my very first favourite post! If you do not follow me on Twitter (@itscarenzab), you will not know that I had a bit of drama while writing my September Favourites. Basically, I wrote the entire post and for some reason it wouldn't save or let me upload it, so I refreshed the page and lost everything I wrote. I was so annoyed with myself, as I had spent ages writing it and it was gone. Anyway, here is my October Favourites and I hope you enjoy it!

Before I start writing, I would like to apologize for the not so great quality of my photos. As it's winter, the lighting isn't great and this means I have to use lights from my lamp and bulb. So I am sorry, but it turned out better than I planned as I used the flash for some of the photos.

Beauty

The first thing I have been loving in the month of October was the new Body Shop Foundation, I have a feeling that this is going to become a holy grail of mine. I am very pale and a lot of foundations, particularly from the Body Shop, are too dark and orange toned. Anyway, this new foundation is a perfect match, maybe even too pale for me. It applies wonderfully and doesn't look cakey, I would say that it's a matte foundation and that it isn't super glowy. I would recommend that you go and get it as it is an amazing product. It retails at £15 which is on the pricey side for a high street foundation but it's totally worth it.

Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in Chelsea Porcelain 

Next, we have another Body Shop product but this time it's a scent rather than a makeup product. It is the Glazed Apple scent from the Christmas range. It's a sharp apple scent that stays for the whole day, I apply this once a day before I leave the house and when I go to bed at 9 or 10 o'clock I can still smell it. I have had this bottle for almost a year and its barely gone down. It's a really lovely scent for autumn and Christmas, I would recommend that you go and get it if you love apple scented things.

Body Shop Glazed Apple Room and Body Spray

Recently, I have discovered I have a love for gold eye-shadows and as much as I love my Urban Decay Naked 3 palette, the eye-shadow palette I have been using lots recently is the Sleek Vintage Romance. I got this last Christmas as part of a gift set and never got round to using it till now.

My dirty but well- loved Sleek Palette

The plastic sheet of names

They all have super cute names like the purple one on the bottom row below the silver one is called A Vow in Venice, which is super cute. As you can tell the ones I have been using the most are the three gold ones.

Without the plastic name sheet

From left to right- Meet in Madrid; Court in Cannes; Lust in LA

Another plus is the mirror, although slightly dirty it is one of the largest I have. Overall this is one of the best eye-shadow palettes I own and I would recommend you get your hands on it. I don't know how much it costs as I got it in a set with a lipstick and a mascara.

We have another Sleek product, this time a lipstick. This lipstick is my new favourite lipstick of all time, it is a truly beautiful deep purple with red tones running through it. If you want to start wearing darker lipsticks but don't want to go straight in with the almost black toned purples this is the lipstick for you. The colour is called Dare and is a matte lipstick. Again, this lipstick is perfect for this time of year and I would say is an Autumn essential for beauty lovers.

Next in beauty we have a product from Lush, although it's not a bath-bomb it is from the skincare range which I feel deserves more recognition. The product I have been loving is Grease Lighting. This product is to be used on spots to dry the out, which sounds disgusting but it works really well. It contains witch hazel, which is really good for spots. For some reason this month I had a really bad break out and this product helped. Although over the £15 mark, I have had this for around a year and have barely used any of it, as a little goes a long way. It has a pump and you pump out a small bit, then apply it to the spot for a couple of days and wait for it to do its magic.

Lush's Grease Lighting

Finally, we have my new holy grail for applying foundation and concealer. It is a beauty blender that I got in the October Glossybox . It applies a lot nicer than a brush as it doesn't leave brush marks. However, it takes slightly longer than a brush does the final result is a lot better.

Books

The first book I read in October was The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Dan Howell (danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (amazingphil). This book was massively hyped in the world of YouTube and to some extent it deserved this praise. It was an interesting book to read, finding out all the different things that were a part of the world of Dan and Phil. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading it and there were bits that made me laugh, the only issue with it is the price. I feel like its a tall order to ask there viewers to pay £17 for it. I do recommend you go get it if you love watching their videos, I just warn you that the book isn't cheap but then there are a lot of pages in it, it's hard back and there is lots of colour.

TABINOF front cover

Next, I read Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass. If you read my birthday book haul, you will have seen this book. It is brilliant, I'm in the middle of writing a book review for it. I don't want to give to much away but I recommend you get it and read it. The main character, Celaena is amazing. You'll fall in love with her straight away. I honestly can't wait to finish the series, I'm on the third book and it's definitely getting interesting. The cover design is beautiful and the story is as well.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass

Finally I started reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is one of my favourite books in the series, as you will know if you read my Harry Potter Tag post from Halloween. I don't need to go into detail as the story is well known. I love it and I really am enjoying re-reading this series.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Bits'n'bob

My first thing to come under the character of Bits'n'Bobs are Tsum Tsums from Japan. These are a thing that Disney started doing and OMG I love them. They are so cute! I collect the small ones and am loving them. Every month they bring out a different collection, like in September it was The Nightmare Before Christmas in time for Halloween.  I have some of the classic Disney characters and some of the collections. The small ones are £3 each and are about the size of your palm. They're filled with beans like bean bags and can be used as screen cleaners, but I have never used mine as screen cleaners.  

Look how cute they are!

Since taking this photo I have got 3 more- Jack Skeleton, Zero and one of the 3 children called Shock, Lock and something I can't remember.

Next I have been loving my scarf from Miss Selfridge, I got it in January in the sales for £16 and love it. It is huge and has this lovely red checkered pattern on it. It also has tassels on it and is the warmest scarf I own. I wear it most days and when I'm doing long journeys either in the car or on a train, I like to use it as a blanket to keep me warm.

Miss Selfridge Scarf

Finally, I have been loving Christmas Magazines. I am getting excited for Christmas way to early this year but I feel like I have got some good ideas for my blog for the festive period and am looking forward to sharing them with you.

Craft and Home-ware Christmas Magazines

So those were my October Favourites, I hope you enjoyed this post and that it has given you some inspiration for the future. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter @itscarenzab. Also you can click follow on here to be informed when I post. For business related questions, email me at itscarenzab@gmail.com.

Love,

Carenza B 

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