Thea Scott

AUTUMN IS NEARLY OVER AND I'M SAD :(
hello world,

Autumn is almost over *cries* and I am officially thinking about Christmas. No I am not joking ;).
I'm already thinking about advent calendars, Christmas lists and what to get my Secret Santa  (help me). I'm actually writing a Christmas song for my music GCSE aswell...but we won't talk about that.

Anyways, I haven't done a beauty post in a while - the last one I did was actually a summer makup look and summer was a long time ago...woops. So today, I shall be running you through all of my current beauty faves. I might even chuck a red lippy in there YAY!



BARRY M : METEOR STORM
Ooooh this palette is so lushhhh.
With eye shadows, I'm actually very picky. I don't like anything too bright or too sparkly so a palette like this is actually something quite far out of my comfort zone. But in all honestly, I absolutely adore this palette. I think the colours are absolutely gorgeous (bar the green one, but there's always one colour you don't wear in a palette) and I actually kind of love the skimmer. I was gifted the palette for my birthday earlier this year, and am very grateful for the addition to my makeup collection. 


NEW LOOK : EYE SHADOW PALETTE, BLUSH & BRONZE
Just over a month ago, I walked into the New Look near me and found out they were closing down. Since they were closing, they had decided to reduce every. single. beauty. item down to a pound. Yes, a pound. That means that I got a TWELVE POUND PALETTE FOR ONLY A SQUID.
I feel so proud.
In all seriousness, the eye shadow palette is actually really nice. Obviously you're not going to get the same pigment and last from a New Look palette than what you'll get from a super high-end palette. But the palette is really really nice for what you pay. Plus the colours are right up my street!
The blush and bronze are both really nice too. Both are really pretty colours and perfect for this time of year!
Unfortunately, I don't believe you can get hold of these products anymore, however I thought I should give them a mention since they are part of my current makeup routine x





BENEFIT : HELLO FLAWLESS FOUNDATION
I've had this foundation for a long time and I honestly don't think I've ever spoken about it. It's easily the nicest foundation I've ever owned. To be completely honest, I don't wear foundation a lot so it's one of the only foundations I've ever owned so.....
However, it is a lushhhh foundation and I absolutely love it!



BOURJOIS : VOLUME GLAMOUR WATERPROOF MASCARA
This mascara is incredible. It creates really long, not too clumpy, lashes which is absolutely perfect for me. I'm not naturally blessed with long lashes and so a mascara like this is a miracle worker.

TOO FACED : SWEET PEACH PALETTE
I've raved about this palette so many time, I won't bore you again. If you wanna read all about it, go and read my review here (cheeky bit of self promo ;)) :

Sweet Peach Palette Review

JUST GO AND BUY IT DAMMIT


HARRY POTTER MAKEUP BRUSHES
Oh my gosh these brushes are the best. I don't think I could live without them. Not only are they actually really good brushes, they are so beautiful! The designs are so intricate and almost spot on to how you see the wands in the films. I feel like they're the kind of thing that you expect to be tacky and cheap, however, they are so well made and just soooooooo stunning.

MUA : MATTE LIPSTICK SCARLET SIREN
This is the lipstick that that I always come back to at Christmas. It's a proper bright red colour so I can't really get away with it at other points in the year which is really sad. But I wear it so much over Christmas that I'd say I get through a sold half a stick each Christmas - honest. It's such a pretty colour and I would definitely recommend giving it a try - MUA lipsticks are really cheap as well!


Honourable Mentions : 

GODDESS OF LOVE TRIPLE BAKED HIGHLIGHTER
RIMMEL KATE MOSS SCULPTING PALETTE CORAL GLOW
COLLECTION INSTANT BROW POMADE, BLONDE




                                                                                                                        



Well there you go - my current beauty faves.

Do you agree with any of these picks?
What is your favourite Christmas lipstick?



Read Next:
Morning Routine
Makeup Look : Bright Lip
A Keeper : Book Review

Thea
xx

OOOOOOOOH AN ADULT FICTION, I FEEL SO SOPHISTICATED :)

hello world,

(no spoilers x)

People always say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. There were two reasons I decided to read this book, both to do with the cover (woopsie). One was the look as the whole, just the trees, the colour, all of it. The book screamed something that I could inhale within two hours. The other thing was the name of the author. Graham Norton is an absolute legend and I absolutely love him. However, I never actually realised that he wrote books. Of course, I've seen all of the biographies and non-fiction type things in book stores (which I can never be bothered to read woops), but I never actually noticed that he wrote fiction too. So when I saw this book sat in a Waterstones, it's fair to say I had a small heart attack. I don't think I'd actually read the blurb before I already had the book at the counter, but I knew it was going to be an incredible book without having to read it.

With books, I feel like I've just been reading the same book over and over again - I always read some kind of teen romance YA type thing. Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with those type of books and I still read a good one a week, but I did want to try an adult fiction with a little more...sophistication? So that's another reason why I picked up 'A Keeper'.

When I actually bothered to read the blurb, I found out the book is written about single mother Elizabeth. Following the death of her mother, Elizabeth returns to the small village in Ireland her mother lived in her entire life. All she wants is to sell her mother's house, forget that part of her life ever existed, and return home to New York to continue her life with her son Zach. But then she comes across a stack of letters in her mother's wardrobe, written from her father, a man she never knew, and her parent's story begins to unravel.

I think my favourite character had to be Elizabeth's mum, Patricia. I just think she's wonderfully complicated. At times I really wanted to hate her for all the secrets she keeps from her daughter and at other times I felt so sorry for her and everything that she goes through before Elizabeth was born. I just wanted to give her a hug really.

THIS WAS THE BEST PHOTO SHOOT : I GOT TO WEAR PJ'S

Hello world,

PICTURES : GRACE

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm a PROPER NIGHT OWL. And it was most definitely necessary to put that in capitals, since going to bed at 2am and waking up at 4pm is my speciality. Still, getting ready in the morning is always quite a lot of fun. It's just so nice and relaxing and a bit of chill before I have to go to school (cryyy (unless it's the holidays and then I can sleep in YAY)). Here's my morning routine x  

   READ A BOOK

There's nothing more relaxing than reading a book. I love getting caught up in a story for just an hour or so in the morning. It's a great way to start my day feeling all nice and positive and also a good way to wake my brain up. Especially on a school day, jumping out of bed and immediately having to think about quadratic formulas (ugh) and a load of history dates is pretty difficult. And just a little bit of reading, is a really great way to get ready for a day of work. During the summer, the thinking I do pretty much extents to working out which episode of Friends I finished at the day before and which one I should start with that day, but still that can be pretty difficult :)

                                                               

SET THE SCENE (yay)
On weekends and during the summer, I go for a bit more of a relaxed morning than the rushing and running around that generally happens on a school day. Sometimes I might light some candles or turn all my fairy lights on. Generally I prefer to use my candles in the evenings when I'm going for a bath or something like that, but my Madagascan Vanilla scented candle just smells soooooo lush it can be hard to resist :)
I also have a lil' playlist I like to stick on. I generally like to go for upbeat music in the mornings (slow piano ballads with send me right back off to sleep) that'll help me wake up and feel all nice and lively and energetic for the rest of the day (not the sluggish mess I generally am most mornings).



DO SOME MAKEUP
That's if I can be bothered :)
If it's a school day, then I'm probably up earlier than I would like to be, so even brushing my hair seems a struggle at that hour, so I mostly just ignore my makeup draw. However, it's currently summer and I'm loving the excuse to bronze up in the mornings and chuck on some bright lippy. If you would like to see exactly how I have been doing my makeup during this summer, then head over to the link right here and see what products I've been using each day :)
Makeup Look : Bright Lip

SPRITZ UP
Mmmmmmm. 

I have way to many perfumes and body sprays and general smelly things that I could probably wear a different scent every day for the rest of the summer. One of my absolute faves to spritz all over myself in the morning (probably too much) are my Jack Wills body sprays. They are so gorgeous and such a lovely fresh, light scent- perfect for summer.
Another 'staple scent' of mine is actually one of Zoella's. I feel like some people think they're a little childish and maybe a little tacky, but if you've ever smelled the 'Snow ella' Christmas scent from last year (yes a Christmas scent, don't murder me) it's actually one of the nicest things I've ever smelt. It's so fresh and minty and actually smells like a Mojito. And I love a good Mojito (no-alcoholic obviously :))) )


 SORT MY HAIR OUT
As you may know, I have really curly hair, and despite what you might say, it's actually so incredibly annoying. I can't sleep on it without ending up with hair sticking up in the air, I can't use a normal hair dryer (just makes it go frizzy) so if I do use a hair dryer, it has to be a diffuser, and generally it just refuses to behave :(
That makes getting ready in the mornings an absolute pain.
I literally have to use about 50 zillion products just to get it to stay in one place. If I am going to wash and dry my hair, I use this 'curl cream' thingy (I can't tell you exactly what it's called because the writing has rubbed off the bottle). It's like this conditioner that you put in your hair before drying it and it's ACTUAL MAGIC. Since I started using it, my curls have been bouncier, lighter and almost blonder ? A small spritz of heat protection spray too helps quite a lot actually.
On the days I don't hair dry, just a little Batiste 'Frizz Tamer' and maybe a little hairspray is enough to tame my curls :)


STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS (y'know?)
Mornings tend to bring out a little more of a grumpy side to me (sorry mum). Waking up early does not work for me and I am usually a little bitter before I get a cup of tea into me (hehe).
By "Stop and smell the flowers) I just generally mean anything that is going to get you out of that morning mood. Listening to some music, maybe a little meditation, anything that makes you a little calmer and gives you a moment to just sit down and calm yourself down a little. A good cup of tea seems to do that for me, for some reason, so it literally could be anything- maybe even literally stepping outside into your garden and smelling some flowers (hehe).


                                                                                                                                             


So there you go, that's everything I do in the morning.

What does your morning routine look like?



Lots of love,
Thea xo

      

I MAY HAVE SAID HOLLY BOURNE WAS MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR, AND I MAY HAVE TO TAKE THAT BACK...

hello world,
(spoiler free x)
This year I've seemed to be thrown into a bit of a reading slump. (I know!) Reading slumps are so difficult to handle and just so incredibly annoying when all I want to be doing is reading piles and piles of books, but I lack the motivation to do so. My 2018 Goodreads challenge seems to be permanently reading "you are behind schedule" and the stack of un-read books on my shelf is not getting any smaller. In came this book.
Summer holidays means shopping trips and shopping trips mean me spending way too much money in Waterstones, even though I know I can get the same books way cheaper on Amazon. But this time, I restricted myself to buying just one book when I ventured into Waterstones - meaning I had to purchase a book that really stood out to me. This book seemed to just throw itself off of the shelf and into my basket.
Here's my review on Cat Clarke's "Torn" x



Like I said, I was immediately drawn to this book. The fact that it doesn't have a "real" blurb on it just intrigued me from the very beginning. Of course, if you buy this book from amazon, you will find a summary there, but in store, it gives you very little info. On the back it says:

I'm not stupid enough to think I can make up for what happened to her. But I've got to get back to who I am. Someone who does the right thing.

And on the front it simply states:
She wasn't supposed to die.

I feel like you can guess a lot of the story line and the ideas inside it from those few words, but from the moment I read that, to the time it took me to pay for the book, simply because it didn't have a blurb, I was already guessing and thinking all about the book - therefore making myself very very very excited to read it. And I wasn't disappointed in anyway possible.

The story begins, again, in a way that really fascinated me even more. I don't want to spoil anything (I'd really like to keep most of it as much a secret as possible so you have that similar mystery that I had when I first read it) so I won't give too many details, but we begin and the funeral of the character who has obviously died / been killed...

I just thought this was a really good choice of a place to start. I would have been so disappointed if it had started from the beginning and had gone from the start telling us exactly what happened to the girl that died. This may seem like a really obvious thing to do, as it gives you that slow unravelling feeling that all mystery readers crave, but you would be surprised with the amount of mystery books I've read that just start at the beginning and kind of tell you everything without the main character having to work for it. Nothing is worse that picking up a book that seems amazing, and then it being one of those.



With mystery novels I quite often find myself skipping and skim reading because I just get bored. I find that mystery novels are often JUST TOO SLOW, and the ones that are fast paced, just move way too quickly and drop massive bombs and then move on like it was nothing.
*cough* One Of Us Is Lying *cough*.
Books like "One of us is Lying" I just think are just the worst. It was good writing, nothing too wrong with it in that sense, it was just way too fast. It kept moving on so quick after anything big happened. I ended up skipping to the end around half way just because I thought it was that bad, and even then, the ending was so predictable, it was pretty much what I initially guessed after reading the first page.


Then, there's books like "13 Minutes". I thought this book could have been so incredible. It was such good writing, I kinda loved the way it was done, yet I still skipped to the end about half way through. Of course, I didn't understand the end since I didn't read half of it, so ended up googling the plot line. Why?

It was just too slow.
Around half way I had my suspicions on who "dunnit", but as soon as I felt myself feeling that boredom, they didn't do anything dramatic that reeled me back in. I feel like "Torn" had that.
There was a moment, again, around half way of "Torn" where I could just feel my patience slipping a little, waiting for the end, and at that exact moment I could feel myself turning to the final chapter, the writer added another "plot twist" - if you like. And that plot twist is what hooked me in, making this the first murder mystery (ish) book I've ever finished without flipping to the final page first.
Of course, the thing that kept me hooked was something kind of obvious. I mean, I had thought of it, but I also hoped it wouldn't happen, if you get what I mean?

I actually kind of love this book. It explores ideas of guilt and anxiety and grief and regret and basically everything that had the ability to just make my heart DROP over and over and over again. From the beginning, I was enjoying it, but I also expected it to be much less than it was. I was expecting it to be a bit more of a "teen drama" type thing than a proper good, hard hitting novel. This book was heartbreaking, utterly terrifying in times and so thought-provoking.

Near the beginning, I seriously hated the main character- Alice. She just seemed annoying and a little foolish, but it wasn't long until I realised that it was that exactly that made her such a believable character. Even though this is the type of book I don't usually feel myself relating to, Alice's character was so incredibly relatable I could feel myself wanting to cry in parts. It was just her guilt and regret and pure desperation to do the right thing which I think was so incredibly emotional.

There is an element of romance in this book, and I did really like that. Sometimes it annoys me when the mysterious side of the story is overshadowed by a romantic subplot, but the one in this just added complications and flare (?) to the plot.

As for the ending, I kind of loved it, yet kind of hated it. It was one of those that you know was done exactly right and all the characters were saying and doing the right things, in keeping with their personalities, but, it was also very frustrating. I don't think I would have wanted it any other way though.

Well that's my reading slump broken, and I don't think it'll be coming back anytime soon since I just bought almost every other Cat Clarke book I could find, and have already delved straight into one entitled "Entangled". What can I say? I thought this book was brilliant, and I found Clarke's style of writing so easy for me to practically inhale in one sitting :)
____________________________________________________________________________


Have you read this book?
What would you rate it?


Lots of love,
Thea x


MY OVERALL RATING FOR THIS BOOK IS 4.99 / 5
(don't wanna give it a 5 but it was still pretty great)




update : i just finished Entangled and it's even better than this one. i don't usually cry at books but i am currently balling my eyes out hehe :)

SUMMER IS HERE AND IT'S TIME TO CRACK OUT ALL OF MY BRIGHT LIPSTICKS

Hello world,

Summer is here and I could not be more excited. It's time to say a buh-bye to all that red lipstick from winter and the subtle pink lipstick I seemed to wear all the way through Spring. 

Somehow the sunshine seems to bring out a different side to me - I always feel a little more confident and brave when it comes to clothes and makeup during the summer. I even have a pink leather jacket that comes out in the summer- and I wouldn't dream of wearing that in winter or autumn (but we'll talk about that jacket another time). For now, I want to walk you through a makeup look that is my absolute go-to for when it's a little warmer than usual. Enjoy x

THE SKIN

The skin is probably my favourite part of makeup. I just love the way my skin looks once I've bronzed up and highlighted. I don't really know what it is, but there's something about making my skin look somewhat nice (and hiding my spots) that is actually a load of fun. 

I'll usually begin with my Rimmel "Wake Me Up" concealer. I find it so much easier to over do the concealer a little than to do foundation. Honestly, who has enough time to blend all of that?

Just a little concealer in my worst areas is generally enough to get rid of pretty much all of my spots, so why bother with the hassle of a foundation? I just find that it can be so heavy and usually leaves me with worse spots the next day, so I'll avoid wearing it at much as I can. 

For contour, my beloved Rimmel Kate Moss Contour Palette in Coral Glow, always does a good job. I generally don't use blusher because I always seem to go overboard when I do, so I usually try to stay away from it, and for this look I use a different highlighter, so I'll only use the brozer for this look. I don't think I have ever found a better contour palette than this one. The bronzer isn't too orange (a deal-breaker for me) and it's also not too shimmery. It does have a bit of a sparkle, but not enough to make it look like I just chucked a load of glitter on my face, which is perfect for a summers day. 

Gold highlighter is something that can be difficult to work with, so if it's not your thing, they stay away. But, I think my gold highlighter is one of my favourite products in my makeup collection. I use the I <3 Makeup "Goddess of Love" triple baked highlighter. This one is absolutely stunning and I honestly don't think summer would be the same without it in my life. I think a friend might have gifted it to me for Christmas a couple years ago- and so to that friend, I thank you. 

THE EYES

I always prefer to go for something a little simpler on the eyes, and so for this look I didn't actually use any eye shadow. My recommendation for a good palette would be the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette, and you can read all about it in my review of the palette here : Peach Palette Review. (Shameless self promo hehe. But, seriously- it's an amazing palette.)

So, for mascara I went with my almost dried out (woopsie) Collection Lengthening Mascara on the bottom lashes and my brand new (and not dried out at all) Bourjois Push-Up Volume Waterproof mascara. This mascara is great for really dark and dramatic (and ever so slightly clumpy (in a good way)) lashes. I actually love this new addition to my makeup collection. 

THE EYEBROWS

Eyebrows are something I pretty much always to the same. Sure, I have different products for days where I just want to quickly chuck on something to make them look a little better, and products for days where I have a bit more time and want to fill 'em in properly, but they are the kinda thing you don't really change the style of.

For this look, I used my Collection Instant Brow Pomade in Blonde. It's really easy to apply with an angled brush, and it does a good job. What else do you really want from a brow product? Oooooh, and it's cheap too !!

THE LIP

And now, for the thing this post has been all about : the bright lip colour. I'm actually really picky about the lipsticks I buy. I don't like it when a lipstick rubs of within 10 second, when they aren't pigmented enough, and when they are hard to apply or the lipstick is too soft and it just snaps when I go to apply it (happened too many times). The lipstick I chose is the MUA luxe velvet lip lacquer in the shade "Hustle". This lipstick (technically it's a "lip lacquer" but who cares?) is so easy to apply (it comes with a lip gloss style applicator), it lasts for a pretty good amount of time, and dries really quickly to be a gorgeous velvety matte shade. It's so stunning and such a lovely colour for summer.

I believe this lipstick comes in a trio (at least it did when I bought it) with 2 other shades named "Halcyon" and "Reckless". "Reckless" is more of a dark red-ish shade and "Halcyon" is more of a softer pinky colour. Both are gorgeous, so if you can't find them in a trio, I would recommend buying them separately anyway x 

_________________________________________________________________________

Well there you go - that's the makeup look I will be applying and reapplying over and over again throughout summer. 

-What do you think of this look?

Dress - New Look
Sunglasses - Primark

Lots of love,

Thea xox

I'M GOING TO GO ALL ZEN ON YOU : SORRY

hello world,
Sometimes it's nice to get away from everyday life and appreciate what's around you. Maybe take a break from what you're doing and just look at what is right in front of you - ya know?
"Stop and smell the flowers" and all that jazz.
So today I have gathered together my top 5 tips for you, to help you look around you and feel all positive and happy :))






LISTEN TO MUSIC
Firstly, I'm afraid the pics today are of me dancing and I can't dance- so I apologise for the cringe photos- but you only live once, right?
Secondly, oh yes people, MUSIC. Music is the thing that universally makes people happy. All over the world people are jamming out to pop, rap, country (ew) and everything in between. We all love music, and that's no secret, so why not go to your garden when it's all sunny or to a park with your friends, slam on a bit o'Drake or Beyonce or whatever "feel good" music you want and just have fun. Honestly, music can really lift a bad mood.



EXCERCISE
EW. But honestly, really good for you. Not only is it great for you physically, but it can work wonders mentally. I seriously LOVE running. Just think about it, a nice day with a little breeze, running through a village with music blasting in your ears. It's actually so nice, and running is really freeing and a lot of fun once you get into it.
If running ain't your thing, then maybe just a bike ride or a simple walk. Anything that gets you out of the house and into some sun and feeling good.






TURN OFF YOUR PHONE
I'm sorry, I really am, but turn off your electrical devises (not right now, finish reading first :)). If you're going to use a phone for music then put on the music and then walk away. Honestly, you have no idea how much more positive you will feel just being away from it for a few hours. You've probably heard it a million times and it's probably getting annoying, but I'm just going to tell you again. Being away from electrical devises for a while is a good thing.
No- that is not permission for my parents to take my electrical devises away.
Yes- I still think it's a bad thing that my school want to ban mobile phones.
:)


TALK TO PEOPLE / FRIENDS
No one likes being cooped up at home, stuck with nothing to do. Grab a friend, go to the park or a coffee shop, somewhere, anywhere. Sitting at home or in your bed, wallowing isn't going to make you feel more positive- in fact, it's going to make you feel worse. Bored.
Grab a friend and go and do something fun, even if it's just chatting. The chances are, just having a conversation with them is going to make you feel a lot better, and leaving the house will feel a million times better than being sat in bed watching Netflix all day.
Just saying.



MEDITATION
Ooooh this is where I go all Zen on you my friends.
Meditation is really really difficult and I respect that, so if meditation really isn't your thing, then that's honestly fine- try some of the other tips. But, I would definitely recommend it.
Of course, meditation isn't always sitting cross-legged on the floor and going "ommmm". It's really all about  clearing your head and feeling peaceful- and that can really be anything. Just try anything that makes you feel calm- it could just be sitting in your garden with your eyes closed for a minute.
Even if it isn't your thing- it makes a good distraction for a while x






TAKE A BATH (BUBBLES ARE RECOMMENDED)
Oh yes. I don't care if you are a guy and think this is a little girly, I believe that bubbles are the solution to everything :)
Taking a bubble bath is a little like meditation, I guess. It's calming and relaxing and can make you feel a lot more positive. Maybe do a face mask if you're feeling a little fancy, or crack out one of those bath bombs you've probably had since christmas (anyone else or just me) - whatever it takes to make you feel good and confident.
Taking a morning bath can be a really good way to kick start your positivity, and generally have a bit more of a productive day...


Well there you have it, 6 tips and tricks to feel positive. Each one has been tried and tested by me- I hope you have a lovely day :))



Lots of love,
Thea
xx