Recent Reads : The Flynn Series

If you who read my post about my goals for 2016, then you will know that I have made it one of my new years resolutions to read more in 2016. Over the Christmas holidays I read a series of books my Sophie Mckensie called The Flynn Series. I received this series for Christmas and as soon as the Christmas chaos settled down, I also settled down most afternoons and evenings with a hot drink to read these books. I got so engrossed in these books that I finished some of the them in a day: I would start one of the books in the morning when I woke up, read after lunch for a few hours and then in the evening I would finish the book before I went to bed. I haven't read like this in years! 

Sophie Mckenise is one of my favourite authors. When I was younger I read all of her books and was thrilled and enticed by each one. I was so excited when I discovered another series that I hadn't read. There may be a few tiny spoilers in my review however nothing that would spoil the whole series for you. 

This series is about River and Flynn's relationship and how it evolves as they get older. Their relationship is so normal that the whole story is unbelievably realistic. The first book their romance is very innocent and so is the plot however by the last book things have taken a twist and the plot becomes a lot darker with more danger thrown in. 

FALLING FAST (BOOK 1)// River is a hopeless romantic who dreams of falling in love and when she goes to audition for Romeo and Juliet at the boys school, she dreams of playing Juliet. Whilst she doesn't play her dream role, her dream still comes true as she ends up falling in love with the boy playing Romeo - Flynn. This romance between the two of them is so realistic and completely  believable. Both River and Flynn's characters are also very relatable as Mckenzie explores several issues including poverty and relationships with parents. 

BURNING BRIGHT (BOOK 2)// River is completely emerged in their relationship however she struggles to deal with Flynn's explosive temper. Her friends and family disapprove of Flynn and their relationship but, whilst this puts a strain on their relationship, she can't imagine living without him. Lots of obstacles occur in the book highlighting that true love isn't always a walk in the park. River still whole-heartedly loves Flynn even when he doesn't give her good reason to. The book ends when Flynn has to leave to Ireland which buts a huge strain on their relationship. 

CASTING SHADOWS (BOOK 3)// Flynn and River are now living together and everything seems perfect. Flynn has his temper under control and is attending regular anger management sessions to prove he has changed. Things seem to be much better with Flynn's temper until secrets are revealed which may upset their future plans. They've had so many ups and downs through out the other books and always managed to sort things out but this time it could be the end of the line for them.

DEFY THE STARS ( BOOK 4)// In the final book Sophie McKenzie finally wraps up their epic romance but not necessarily in the way in which will please everyone. Personally I wanted their story to end differently to prove that true love is so strong that it can overcome any obstacle. The last book has a darker approach which has a similar plot to that of a thriller novel which makes it even more exciting and makes it very hard to put down.

I would highly recommend this series, even though they are aimed at young adults I think these area a great easy, romance read for anyone. There is a lot lot be learnt about love and relationships from this series and I think this story will stay with me for quite a while!

What books have you read recently that you love?

MissBeccaBeauty xo

Christmas Beauty First Impressions

I was a very lucky girl this Christmas and received many lovely gifts from my friends and family. I didn't want to do a full 'What I got for christmas' post but I thought I would show you some of the beauty products that I received. Now I have been using them for around 10 days I thought I could give you a quick review on my first impressions of the products. 

One of the main beauty gift sets that I asked my family for was the Benefit Get Your Party On Set which I thought was such good value considering you got four full sized best-selling products. The set includes the following: They're Real Mascara, High Beam Highlighter, Hoola Bronzer and Gimmie Brow. All of these products are ones that I have been on my wishlist for a long time and whilst I used to use the travel size versions of the They're Real Mascara, I hadn't tried any of the other. So far I am incredibly impressed by all of these products. I had forgotten how good the They're Real mascara was - I am definitely a Benefit girl when it comes to mascara! The High Beam is absolutely beautiful and I use it on the tops of my cheeks and under my brows. Talking of brows, I am really impressed by the Gimmie Brow. At first I was worried that it was going to be too dark but after using for a couple of days I soon fell in love with how my brows were looking. It definitely works best when my hair is down as my brows really help to frame my face. The final product in this gift set is the Hoola Bronzer. It seems as though every blogger has used this bronzer and I can see why. Even with my really pale complexion, it never looks muddy or too dark, it just works perfectly! 

My sister bought me (with some hints from me!!) the Real Techniques Duo Fibre brush collection which is just the additions that I needed to my brush collection. I am so happy with all of these brushes because I realised that most of my brushes were very dense and applied a lot of products whereas these new brushes are perfect for blending of applying light amounts of powder. I used the duo fibre face brush ( the larger one) for either setting my powder or applying blush; the duo fibre contour brush is amazing for contour because it is not as dense as the gold handled so I feel like my contour looks much more natural with this brush. The smallest brush which is the duo fibre eye brush is amazing for blending eyeshadows for a smokey eye. Also I just want to apologise for my dirty brushes in the photo, I didn't have time to wash them! 

Tarte is a brand often raved about by bloggers however the only place you can get it in the UK is on QVC. My mum gave this palette to my for Christmas however she bought it months ago in a Todays Special Value on QVC so I have known I was getting this for a long time and it was killing me! The Tarte Amazonian Clay Tartelette Palette is made up entirely on matte shades which are so pigmented and buttery. There is a good range of shades from really natural ones, pinks and purples and also a great dark matte black. Another gift from Tarte is a set of lip glosses. The gift it's self came with three of these little boxes which we shared between my mum, sister and myself. Theses are not the exact shades that came in the rose gold box however these lip glosses are incredible and I love how some of them are bolder but some are the perfect nude shades. 

Finally I reviewed a little stocking filler containing the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and Perfect Eyes Waterproof Liner in Perfect Black. I haven't used the mascara yet because I opened the Benefit one but the eyeliner is one of the best I have ever used. It feels incredibly creamy and gel like which makes it apply smoothly and the colour is a really strong black that lasts all day! 

What beauty products did you find under the tree this year?

MissBeccaBeauty xo

16 Things To Do In 2016

I know I have already done a post on my goals for 2016 but I thought it might be fun to make a list of 16 things i want to do this year and then at the end of the year I can look back on them and see how I got on. Some of them are similar to my goals but others are just things I want to do, see or keep up with throughout the year.

01// Go to a concert
02// Read 26 books - that works out at two weeks per book
03// Make new friends - I love my close circle of friends but meeting new friends helps you learn more about yourself.
04// Start a scrapbook of all my favourite memories - I have been collecting so many photos, tickets and cards for years that I really need to put away in a scrapbook.
05// Visit at least 5 new places - This year I am going to Liverpool and Normandy by myself for the first time so I am so excited!
06// Save more of my money into my saving account - I really want to put more of my money away so that I can invest in better things in the future.
07// Go to a car boot sale
08// Reduce my clutter to live a more minimalist lifestyle - I am a big hoarder when it comes to stuff as I just want to keep hold of everything, especially when I don't need it any more.
09// Use my Polaroid camera to record my best memories of 2016
10// Watch all the Star Wars films
11// Learn to cook three new recipes - I am really good at baking but when it comes to cooking meals I am completely clueless so I am determined to learn a few more recipes this year.
12// Write in my One line a day 5 year journal every single day!
13// Be healthier - I want to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet and exercise more.
14// Go and see an Opera - I love playing classical and orchestral music but I have never seen an Opera so this year I would love to experience that.
15// Have a black out night once a month as a family - This is where you switch everything electronic off (phone, TV, wifi, social media) for the evening and just spent time together as a family talking, playing games or maybe reading.
16// Relax and have fun - this year is going to be quite stressful with my GCSE's so I want to try and remain as calm as possible all year when things get a tad more stressful.

There we have it, 16 things I want to do in 2016. What is on your list to do this year?

MissBeccaBeauty xo

Favourites From 2015

It feels really strange writing this post as I can't believe it is 2016 already ( I know, everyone has been saying this!) but I wanted to do a round up post of everything that I have loved and used to death this year. 

BEAUTY// For makeup I have a few standout products that I have used pretty much on a daily basis for at least the past 7 months. I never thought I could used bronzer as I so pale but in 2015 I discovered the Soap & Glory Solar Powder Bronzer. I love it so much because it has two halves, one half is a lighter matte shade and the other half is a bit darker so I can wear the two shades separately or I sometimes swirl my brush around both colours. My mascara of choice this year, hands down, has to be the Benefit Roller Lash because it gives my lashes so much length and separation and I have worn this everyday for ages.  The palette I have reached for the most has been my Urban Decay Naked Palette. The shadows are incredibly buttery and pigmented which just makes them a dream to apply and I never seem to go wrong whenever I apply these shadows. For those of you who have read my blog for a while, then you will know that I love nail polish a lot but I actually found it really easy to pick out my favourite polish of the year and this is because I have nearly finished the bottle (this has never happened to me!). The polish I am talking about is the Essie polish in Sand Tropez which is a great beige/grey nude colour that looks amazing for everyday wear on my nails. M final beauty discovery of the year has been Garnier Micellar. Water. I had the Bioderma a few years ago but this year I have really gotten into micelles waters from Garnier as they are so refreshing and gentle but it removes makeup so so well. 

HAIR// In 2015 I really went out of my comfort zone when it came to my hair and how I styled my hair. For years I would always wear my hair up in a bun or a pony tail every single day and I just got really bored after a while. My favourite tool last year that I used several times a week was the Yogi Curling Wand with a Tapered Barrel. My hair is naturally curly but I found curling my hair with my wand made my hair more tamed and manageable than my natural birds nest!! When I have been wearing my naturally, the Toni and Guy Sea Salt Spray has really helped to give my curls a beach wave effect. My final hair favourite from 2015 was a new discovery, Batiste Dry Shampoo, and I can't believe I didn't discover this sooner because it means I can sleep in a bit longer some days instead of having to get up to wash my hair!! 

EXTRAS// This year I became obsessed with Taylor Swift's 1989 Album, I literally had it on repeat for months in my room, in my car and whenever I put my headphones on! I also went to see Taylor Swifts World Tour which was amazing and definitely one of my best memories from 2015. I also used a Bumble B Diary for the first time last year and I loved using it to organise my life. Each week had two sections so I could have a page for home and a page for school. I've got another one this year so let me know if you would like a review. Finally in 2015 I fell in love with Nike Trainers. I never thought I would be one of those people who live in trainers but guess what... I am!! There is a Nike outlet near where I live so I have now got three pairs and they are around £30-40 in the outlet which I think is such an amazing bargain. 

What have been your top favourites from 2015??

MissBeccaBeauty xo

Highlights of 2015 and Goals for 2016

Happy New Year everyone! Another year has come and gone and I wanted to do a post looking back on my highlights from 2015 but also some goals, both personal and blogging, that I would like to achieve in 2016.

In January of 2015 my best friend and I set up a business together called L&B Bakes. Since then we have received a grant from our local council and we are hoping to re-brand in the new year! If you want to read more, I wrote a post here all about our journey. I also became Head Girl at my school which was a complete shock and a real honour and I was really proud of getting an A in my GCSE Music because music is really important to me. Talking about music, at the end of 2015 I auditioned for a place in CSYO (City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra) and I get accepted. Over this Christmas break I attend my first course with them and a few nights ago I did my first concert which was amazing. I am looking forward to all the exciting things I will do with them in 2016.

In 2015 I was lucky enough to have some of the most amazing experiences and one of my absolute highlights was going to see Taylor Swift in her 1989 World Tour in Manchester. It was phenomenal and is a night I will never ever forget. Also I went to St.Andrews for my Uncles wedding which was a really special trip and a wonderful time spent with my closet family. I would love to go back St Andrews sometime soon because it a beautiful place. In October half term I went away with my family to a gorgeous cottage in Suffolk where we enjoyed the countryside, played games and just relaxed as a family. We also took a day trip to Cambridge where I met up with some friends and it is one of my highlights of the Cambridge is one of my favourite places in the world and one day I would love to live there.

BLOGGING GOALS//

Post More Frequently  I know I have been slack in the last few months but I want to work hard to try and get 3/4 posts up a month. Writing a post is way in which I can relax and I want to take advantage of this more, not only for my readers but it is really satisfying hitting publish on a new post.

Work with more Bloggers and Brands I don't mean this is a way to get 'freebies' from brands but often I find that blogging can get a little lonely, that is one of the reasons why I have large breaks and run out of motivations. I think I would find it more interesting to work with other brands and bloggers as it would give me more motivation to blog.

PERSONAL GOALS//

Work Hard for my GCSE's This year I am in year 11 and the summer exams seem to be getting closer and closer. Before Christmas I worked my socks off in my first set off mocks so I have given myself some time off over Christmas but as soon as I go back to school, I will be in full work and revision mode again. I would love to achieve my predicted grades by working extremely hard up until I have finished all my exams ( then I can relax over a long summer!).

Read More Over the Christmas break I have read two books which is a lot for me and I think I have rediscovered my love for reading. I have found it so relaxing and I love emerging myself into a story and getting involved in the characters lives. If you have any book recommendations, I would love to hear them. I have a couple that I want to read from David Nichols but after that I am not sure. My goal is to read at least two books a month and I am hoping that I stick to it because I want to make more time in my busy days to read.

Write a Line a Day For Christmas I received one of the One Line A Day books and the idea is that you write a short line, sentence, quote, something someone said or an idea everyday for five years. I have, like most people, have attempted to keep a daily journal but I always never know what to write. However something like this should be more fun because you only have to write a very short line rather than trying to write paragraphs and paragraphs like in a journal. Also I think it will be so fun to look back in three years time to see what I have written.

Practise Two Hours Per Week Music is extremely important to me and for those who don't know I play the French Horn. This year I would love to get closer to being able to take my Grade 8 Horn and by practising more a week then I hope to get closer to my goal. 

Make More Friends This year I will be going off to Sixth Form when I finish Year 11 and I will be going on more music courses throughout the year and I really want to try hard to make friends with as many new people as possible. 

So these are all my goals for the coming year. I am really excited for everything 2016 will bring and I hope you all have a great year. Let me know what your goals are for 2016! 

MissBeccaBeauty xo