All Things Bright and Beauty-ful - Beauty Reviews - A Christmas Pamper Routine.

Hi!!!

It's Blogmas Day Nineteen and today I have a little Christmas pamper routine to share with you. You might want to save this for when you get home on Friday night, you might want to save it for Christmas Eve - there is nothing more dreamy than a pre-Christmas pamper that makes you feel like a sparkly star on Christmas Day. But also, you might want to take some time this evening, especially if 5pm on Friday seems a million miles away and you want to give yourself that sparkly feeling to get you ready for the home stretch to Christmas. Whenever you find time to do this, I would definitely recommend taking some time for yourself. Without further ado, here's what I recommend.

This is a pretty straightforward pamper routine, and it doesn't take up twelve hours of your time, which I like. This is my go-to at the moment, but sometimes I'm all about the long baths and Lush bath bombs so feel free to add to it or change things if you want. The above photo is sadly not from my bathroom but was taken at Chatsworth last year - it was a room based on the theme of the Sugar Plum Fairy's dressing room, and I think this festive pamper routine is one the Sugar Plum Fairy would be very happy with so I had to include it.



Before I get in the shower, I wash my face with my Aloe Calming Foaming Wash from The Body Shop. I don't wear makeup everyday, but if I do happen to be wearing it then I take it off using The Body Shop's Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover (if you're into cleansing balms or oils, there are also a few of those in the range). I remove my makeup with it, then wash it off with warm water and then I go back in with my Face Wash to get rid of any last dregs of makeup.

 

Then I'll hop into the shower. I use (and love) Herbal Essences Classic Silk n Shine Shampoo and Conditioner to wash my hair.

 Then, since it's Christmas, some festive body care products are in order. I'm using Lush's classic Snow Fairy Shower Gel. It has such a dreamy scent - it's super sweet, which it's bubblegum pink colour might suggest, and it definitely makes me feel like an actual fairy princess who lives in a castle made of candyfloss, so that's nice. If sugary smells aren't your thing, then check out Lord of Misrule, another one of my favourites from Lush's Christmas range which has a more earthy scent, and Vanilla Chai Shower Gel from The Body Shop which is one for those who like spicy, warmer fragrances. The shower gel featured is in a plastic bottle but Lush also make a 'naked' version of this shower gel (available here) which does the same job but without the plastic packaging and I would highly recommend checking that out and reducing your plastic consumption without sacrificing that sugary goodness.

 

To go with my shower gel, I have the Snow Fairy Body Conditioner (this is also available in a 'naked', plastic free version - here - yay and a million points to Lush for caring about the planet). This product works like a hair conditioner - you apply it to your skin in the shower (so while it's still damp), leave it for a few minutes so it can soak in, and then you wash it off. It does feel a bit weird if you're used to using typical body butters but it's a lovely product and concept and means you can just get straight into your pyjamas and get on with your evening.
 

 

I'd then paint my nails - to see my product recomendations, click here - and then either listen to some music, watch a Christmas film or read a book (but I'll definitely be drinking hot chocolate, no matter what).

Thanks for reading today's Blogmas post - I hope you find it useful. I also really hope you like the photos as much as I do.

What are your night in essentials at this time of year? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. I'll speak to you all tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx 

Recent Reads - Books - Why It's OK Not To Finish Books.

Hi!!!

I've been wanting to write this post for quite a while but this is the first time I have actually sat down at my laptop to do it. I haven't written about books for some time and this is a bit different so hopefully you'll enjoy it.

I talk about books a lot. Lots of my friends and family like reading, and so its a natural topic of conversation. Sometimes, people tell me that they are ten chapters into a book and when I ask them about it they tell me they aren't all that keen on it but they don't want to stop reading it in case it gets better.

I personally see no point in persisting and powering through, reading books that honestly, you don't even like whether its Pride and Prejudice or Gok Wan's autobiography. Chances are it won't get any better if you really haven't been all that enamoured by it from the start. Its a waste of time. Its a waste of your energy. You could spend those things on something else, be it reading a different book that you actually like or something completely removed from literature.

If you don't like a book, that's up to you. It doesn't mean that you aren't intelligent enough to understand it. It doesn't mean that you don't have good taste in books. Books are subjective things. Just because the world and his wife think that a book is great, doesn't mean you have to. You are allowed to enjoy whatever you want to and so in turn are allowed to dislike whatever it is you dislike.

I've listed some examples of books that received critical acclaim and huge popularity that I didn't finish. I haven't listed them to bash them or turn you against them or discredit the authors or the views of those who enjoyed them. I just wanted to show you that just because hundreds of other people love them, it's fine to walk away from books.

Some Examples Of Books I Didn't Finish:

The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes

Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn

 Just like with anything in life, you are allowed to make your own opinions. Just because others like a book or anything else doesn't make it definitively good and likewise just because you or others dislike something, it doesn't mean it is 100% bad. It means that you have your own mind and that's a wonderful thing. So don't suffer through to the end of books or films or anything else that bores you or bothers you or makes you angry and so on. You are an individual with a life to lead - take the responsibility of filtering out the less wonderful things in all aspects of life into your own hands.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the post.

What are your thoughts like this? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts. Let me know in the comments.

Speak soon.

Have a spectacular day!

GingerSnaps xxx





Recent Reads - Books - 5 Books To Enjoy This Autumn/Winter By Genre.

Hi!!!

I love reading all year round as I'm sure many of you do. However, I know for lots of people it is an activity best enjoyed at home in autumn and winter, while sat under a blanket with a mug of tea. With that in mind, I've put together a little collection of books that I have read in the last 18 months or so and really enjoyed for you to consider reading. I've organised it into genres and picked one from each - I'm aware there are more genres but I wanted to keep these to things I've read recently so have chosen five. And excuse the fact that there are only three books in the photos - I couldn't locate some of them.

Award Winning General Fiction - Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey

Since Elizabeth Is Missing first came out, I'd been wanting to read it, and never got round to it. My lovely best friend Elf Girl included it in a blog post and when I mentioned it to her, she let me borrow and read her copy.

It is about an elderly woman called Maud, who suffers from dementia, and her efforts to find her friend Elizabeth, who she believes is missing and about her past, and in particular, her sister Sukey.

It is such a beautiful book, and is deserving of all the critical acclaim it has received.

Healey writes in a very descriptive and sometimes poetic way. The book is a character driven piece, which I loved.

It talks about dementia in a very eye-opening and honest way and it is emotional at times to witness through the first person narrative the struggles Maud experiences.

It's a must read.

General Fiction - Funny Girl by Nick Hornby

I read Funny Girl on holiday earlier this year and it was a very enjoyable book.
It follows a team working on a BBC sitcom in the 1960s and explores many themes and social issues within that, as well as having romantic and comical elements. It's very entertaining.
The book also features photographs at certain points which help you create a picture of the world the characters are living in as you go, which is really unique and something that I really liked about it.
 Its a fun read.
I have also reviewed this book in full, and you can  read that here.

Young Adult Fiction - Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns was a book that I never thought I would read, and yet it is one of my all time favourites and means a lot a to me.
It follows Q as he tries to find out where the girl he has loved silently for years has disappeared to, as he and his friends leave high school.
It is full of stunning language, it is incredibly meaningful and thought-provoking and yet so much fun.
There are so many elements to this book and so many things to take away and I love it.
I have reviewed it in full, and you can catch that here.

 

Sci-Fi/Fantasy - The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

My most recent post about books was about the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde and The Eyre Affair is the first in the series.
This is the book in which we first meet Thursday, and are introduced to life in the version of the 1980s that she lives in (which features dodos, time travel and literary detectives!)
It is a unique, dynamic, funny and imaginative book that I adore.

Crime - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling is the first in the Cormoran Strike series.
A supermodel called Lula falls from the balcony of her London apartment and to her death. Her brother asks Strike, a private detective, to look into it because he believes there was more to it than meets the eye.
It is a very good novel. I haven't read the others in the series yet, so can't comment on anything other than this one.
It was written by JK Rowling under a pseudonym, which she has decided to reveal, so if you like her writing then maybe this could be a good read for you.
I thought it was very detailed and descriptive, I liked the characters and thoroughly enjoyed the story. I will say that I wasn't completely keen on the way she writes dialogue sometimes (e.g writing out accents...) but other than that I loved it and have passed it on to several people.

That brings a end to this post, then. Thanks for reading.

What are your favourite books? Have you read any of these? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Speak to you all soon. Oh, and HAPPY BLOOMING NOVEMBER!!!

Have a terrific day!

GingerSnaps xxx

Recent Reads - Books - What's Happening, Thursday Next?

Hi!!!

 

Well, hey there everybody. Happy Friday! Today's post is about some of my favourite books, one of which I finished reading last weekend. This is a bit like a review but not, and you'll soon see why, but if you're looking for some ideas for what to read this weekend, then look no further.

 

 

Let me introduce you to Thursday Next, a smart and brave literary heroine, and the books you can find her in.

 

The Eyre Affair is the first in a series of books that follow Thursday Next and her adventures, and Lost In A Good Book (which I finished last week) is the second. At the time of writing there are seven books.

 

Thursday and co live in 1985, but not as we know it. It is a parallel 1985 in which the Crimean War is still going on, people have pet dodos, Wales is a Republic and the Goliath Corporation hold a scary amount of power and control. Thursday works for SpecOps (who are kind of like MI5) as a literary detective - other SpecOps divisions include the ChronoGuard (time-travelling police) and the Werewolves and Vampires Disposal unit.

 

The first story follows our heroine on the trail for a major player in the literary crime market, Acheron Hades, who has been kidnapping characters from fiction and holding them to ransom - including Jane Eyre. In order to stop him, Thursday must find a way into the books themselves.

 

And then, in the second story, Thursday finds herself jumping into fiction again in order to find the truth when the Goliath Corporation meddle with her personal life, and she finds that lost Shakespeare manuscripts, a few too many coincidences and impending Armageddon are all part of a bigger plan - but whose? With the addition of some wonderful 'new' characters - ever wanted to meet the Cheshire Cat? - as well as all our book one favourites, its an awesome adventure.

 

 The books are an amazing mix of science fiction, fantasy, comedy and references to a bucket load of books. The characters all have such clever, often pun filled, names like Paige Turner, Bowden Cable (like the things on bikes?), as well as a personal favourite, Landen Park-Laine, and of course Thursday Next. The plot is interesting and unique and full of surprises and sub-plots and the world Thursday lives in is so vividly described. I absolutely adore these books and can't wait to read the rest of the series.

 

Jasper Fforde gets two thumbs up and a round of applause from me.

 

I hope you enjoyed today's post - it was a lot of fun to write.

Have you read the Thursday Next books? Do you have any book recomendations for me? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

 

I hope your day is brilliant!

 

GingerSnaps xxx



 

Recent Reads - Books - 'Funny Girl' Review.

Hi!!!

Good evening people! How are you all on this fine Wednesday? I hope your week is going well. Today I have a book review for you. I'm going to be sharing my thoughts on Nick Hornby's most recent novel, 'Funny Girl', which was first published in 2014.



'Funny Girl' follows Barbara, a young woman from Blackpool who is determined to move to London and make it big as the next Lucille Ball. She becomes Sophie Straw, under the advice of her agent, and soon lands the leading role in a BBC sitcom, that evolves to showcase her. The book follows the different relationships of the cast and crew of the sitcom and how they change and develop as time goes on.

 

I enjoyed reading 'Funny Girl'. There are some funny lines in it, the storyline is quite easy to follow and yet it is also interesting.

 Its full of details about television production and London in the 60s which was both pleasing and also somewhat unexpected. There are photographs distributed throughout the book of various things, usually specific details that the reader may be unfamiliar with, which not only helps put the images of certain people and places into your mind, but makes sure you are kept in the loop, which I appreciated.

 

One thing that did bother me slightly about the book was the way the characters were described. Particularly the female characters. They were beautiful, and there were two types of beautiful if I remember rightly - either Marilyn Monroe types or a-kind-of-but-not-quite Audrey Hepburn type, if you know what I mean? And that's fine, but it just bothered me a little bit that they weren't all a bit more different and dynamically described.

I did find that I could connect with the characters - they are well constructed and have detailed lives, so even the less than loveable ones (looking at you Clive!) are still characters you want to find out more about.

 

I'd recommend this to people who enjoy character led books, to those who are interested in the 1960s and television comedy and so on. There were some minor details that I wasn't too keen on, like the previously mentioned descriptions issue, but I was so keen to find out what happened, I made everyone stay in the holiday apartment for an hour or so longer than they had intended to give me time to finish it before we went out.

Overall, I'd give 'Funny Girl' a solid and well deserved four stars. It's entertaining and engaging and made me chuckle. Maybe check it out during your lunch break tomorrow.

That's a wrap on today's post. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it.

Have you read 'Funny Girl' or any other novels by Nick Hornby? Do you have any book recomendations for me? What about suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you ever so much for reading.

Have a delightful day!

Gingersnaps xxx

Recent Reads - Books - 'Paper Towns' Review.

Hi!!!

Well, today's post is a first. I've never written a book review on my blog. But here I am today, writing one. I feel like such a momentous occasion should be marked by reviewing something like 'War and Peace' or 'Les Miserables' but alas, it is not and couldn't be, because I have read neither. I am instead reviewing a book I never thought I'd read - 'Paper Towns' by John Green.

So, why did I think I'd never read it? Let me explain.

I went to see the movie of 'The Fault in Our Stars' a few years ago for someone's birthday and I wasn't *quite* as amazed as everyone said I'd be.
 I came to two conclusions about John Green - I didn't like the way he named his characters (some of the names just seemed a bit pretentious) and I thought that some of the things they did were so far from what anyone would do, let alone teenagers (the cigarette metaphor, anyone?).

And, to be honest, I never thought I'd read it because it's young adult. Which I know is ridiculous of me, and snobby of me, and 'ooh I'm too cool' of me, isn't it? *hangs head in shame*.

However, I decided that this year I should actually read one of his books, rather than judge them by Hollywood or my own silly poorly founded opinions.

 

 

Paper Towns was recommended to me by my dear friend Elf Girl and as I trust her judgement in these things, I decided that it would be the one I would read.

 

The basic plot of 'Paper Towns' is as follows...

 Quentin Jacobsen (Q) has spent a lifetime loving Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. One night, she cracks open a window and climbs into his life - dressed like a ninja, summoning him to join her in a campaign of revenge - and he follows. Q arrives at school the next day to find that she has disappeared. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance and that they have been left for him and he decides to follow them back to her.

 

Turns out, I actually love 'Paper Towns'. It is a great book.

The plot is really interesting and intelligent and filled with intricate details (Margo's clues for Q being the source of many). At times it is hilariously funny and I stopped to read some of the jokes again and again. And the names did bother me, but only for the first chapter or so, and yes, sometimes the dialogue was a little off base, but not by much.

 I really like the characters in 'Paper Towns', I like their friendships and their in-jokes and their craziness and their beer swords, and I like the many sides of them too. Q grows as a person in front of the readers eyes without them realising, and the lessons he learns are lessons carefully planted for the reader, too.

 

And yeah, maybe a name like Margo Roth Spiegelman is a lot to say all at once but, you know what? I've been looking at 'Paper Towns' merchandise since I finished it, and I've been talking to anyone that'll listen about it, and I think John Green is a very good author.

 

So, I like a John Green book. I love 'Paper Towns'. I'd give it a very enthusiastic and hearty four stars. And I'd recommend it to you, even if you think it won't be up your street.
 There's this part in the book where Q describes himself and his friends as "Young. Goofy. Infinite" and I love that because it fits so beautifully with their spirit, and it captures the spirit of the book as a whole.

 

Buy it here.

Thanks for reading my first ever book review. I hope you enjoyed it.
Have you read Paper Towns? Do you have any book recomendations for me? Would you like to see more book reviews? Any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments. Oh and do you have any opinions on the series title or suggestions for a new one?
Speak soon, lovely people.

I hope your day is glorious!

 

GingerSnaps xxx