April Favourites + A Little Announcement

Hi everyone!

Another month, another monthly favourites. I think I said this last time, but I can’t believe how fast this year is going! I’ll blink once at it’ll be Christmas time already (not that I want to skip my birthday, but at the rate this year’s going, I just might!). This month gave me three more weeks of university, a week off for Easter, and intense assignment stress (I had something due Friday and the day before the holidays started. Yippee!). I haven’t really worn any new makeup this month (I’m broke as hell), but I have been using things that I haven’t used before, even if I’ve had them for a little while. There has also been new music out this month that I’m exceedingly excited about.

The week off I had after Easter gave me time to hang out with my friends (which we did). We went over to one another’s houses, playing board games, and creating new memories and inside jokes in the process. We went to Mooloolaba, listening and singing along to Ed Sheeran, Mariana’s Trench, Shawn Mendes, and Panic! At the Disco on the way. I think it’s fair to say we have a pretty diverse music taste! We had gelato and chips (separately) by the ocean. Then we went to a maze (Bellingham, I think) and also did mini golf while we were there. Afterward, we went back to one of our houses and played a board game before going home. Overall it was a great day, which was only made better by the fact that (my most favourite musician) Shawn Mendes released a song.

There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes is my absolute favourite song at the moment, and it’s only been out for a week. I know all the words (I learned them the day it came out), no big deal. I’m not very good with music lingo, but I love the chorus, the pre-chorus, and the verses. I also love the guitar that backs up the vocals (that is the extent of my music lingo knowledge). It’s a great song to dance to (or walk to the bus stop to) and I thoroughly enjoy listening to on a daily basis (or on repeat, whatever you like). Its quite different to the rest of his musical repertoire, more fast and boppy, but if this is a sign of what is to come, I’m not complaining!

A beauty thing I have been using and loved over the past month is a moisturiser, as I haven’t really worn makeup recently (mostly because I can’t be bothered). It is the Formula 10.0.6 Picture Perfect Day Gel Moisturiser. I have used it in the morning every day since I ran out of my other moisturiser (the Simple one) and I have quite enjoyed it. It sinks into my skin quickly and makes my skin really super soft. Also, it has an SPF of 15, meaning that my skin is protected for the short amount of time I’m in the sun. The moisturiser claims to refine pores and promotes clear skin, and I would say it does that, as I currently have no pimples (for now…).

I would also like to announce that I might start a story on Wattpad to continue the little scene I posted last week. I won’t update it very often (once a month at least, depending on my schedule), but if you want more of the story I will do it. I quite like the story and I have a few ideas of where I could take it.

What are your April Favourites? Do you like mine? Should I start a Wattpad story?

Love, Nicky x

What if I Told You a Story?

Hey lovelies!

I had to do a little writing activity for uni a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I would share it with you. Tell me what you think in the comments below!

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Harrison Blackley was tall. Not too tall where it got ridiculous, but tall enough to be noticeable to short people like me. He has this kind of calming aura about him and always made everyone feel needed. He had the coolest friends and wore sunglasses inside. His hoodie was always up, but you could still see bits of his auburn hair sticking out at the top of his head. And now he’s gone. He didn’t vanish so much as fall right off the face of the earth. He hasn’t been seen by anyone I know in weeks and we’re all really worried. I never knew him that well, but he always seemed so okay, like nothing could or would ever go wrong in his life. Except it did, and it’s kind of my fault.

We caught the same bus home from uni every day, we were in the same course, we never really talked, but everyone thinks it’s my fault he’s gone. For the first few days, I didn’t notice him not get on the bus, but after about a week or so, I, and everyone else, knew something was off.

That is why I’m currently walking to the last place anyone saw him: his house. I need answers. I know no one will trust me with information but I must prove my innocence. His mother answers the door, clearly frazzled, then immediately slams the door in my face.

“Please, Mrs. Blackley! I need to talk to you!” I said, a sense of panic in my voice.

No answer. I hear muffled footsteps retreating from the door.

I watched as the sun set over the houses across the street; Mum will kill me if I’m out late again, especially now that I have a target on my back. I heard a car roll into the driveway.

“Hello, dear,” Mr. Blackley said, with the same calming demeanour as Harrison. His suit was crinkled from sitting at a desk all day.

I looked up at him, expecting him to ask me to leave, but quite the opposite happened.

“So, what brings you here, Katie?” Mr. Blackley said with a smile.

“Well, Harrison is missing.”

“I know.”

“I need to know who did it. Everyone thinks it's me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I was the one who saw him last, I guess.”

Mr. Blackley seemed so unaware of any information about his son’s disappearance, and there was no way I was getting information out of his mother. She stormed out of the room when her husband let me sit at the dining table. One hour in and I had already hit a dead end. That was until I saw it; Harrison’s backpack was on the floor near the front door, packed and ready to go.

“Do you mind if I look through that, sir?” I said, pointing to the bag, “It might have clues to his disappearance.”

He nodded his consent. I hurried over to the bag, eager for clues. Digging through the bag, there were normal teenage boy things: aerosol deodorants, notebooks, textbooks. I began to give up hope, until I closed my hand over a cold metallic object; his phone!

Should I do this? I want to find him, but I don’t want to get in too deep. Oh, screw it.

I switched on his phone. Oddly enough, there was no passcode, like he wanted it to be found, like he wanted to be found.

“Can I keep this, sir? To investigate it more?” I said, gesturing to the phone in my hand.

“Well, Harry’s not using it, is he?” he said with a distant laugh. 

I thanked him and left for home, the setting sun a distant memory, with a phone in my pocket and a bit more optimism than I had when I had arrived.

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What did you think? Did you like it? Would you read the rest of the story?

Love, Nicky x

Inside Jokes and Ear Pokes

Hey peeps!

I’ve heard a lot recently that it’s really hard to maintain a blog while studying at university. I guess it is, in a way. It has been harder to find time (and ideas some weeks), but I’m mostly okay. I have the occasional writers’ block, which happens relatively frequently as not only am I writing as a hobby, it is also what I’m studying. At the moment, I have to write a nine-line poem by Sunday. I have never written a poem in my life and have no idea what to write about. We were told in the tutorial that it doesn’t have to mean anything and it doesn’t even have to rhyme, but I want to make it rhyme and have meaning, otherwise, I don’t really see it as a poem. It would just be a bunch of words thrown together and labelled a poem (not unlike any of my other assignments, but shh!).

I don’t really know what the point of this blog post is, so in a way, it is a giant poem. Except there are no line breaks, no metaphors and similes that flow like a gentle stream, igniting vivid imagery in the mind of every reader. There are words thrown onto a page in an order that suits the writer, who is quietly hoping that the readers can make sense of their rambling and poor excuses for humour. Anyway, the whole point of me saying this is that I don’t have any ideas this week. I am currently writing this the night before it goes up (not unlike any of my other assignments, but shh!), and hoping that my rambling and poor attempts at humour make sense to you, dear reader.

Let me tell you a story. The other night, when Mum and I were watching a reality TV show that rated so bad it wasn’t on weekends or prime time, I made a joke about one of the contestants. Without realising it, Mum had put her hand up offering me a high five. As I left her hanging for a bit too long, she decided to hit me on the side of the face instead. We then fell into fits of laughter for at least the next five minutes and whenever I get the chance, I high five the side of her face as a kind of inside joke that no one else gets. Also, about an hour ago, instead of getting my attention like a normal human, she decided to stick her finger in my ear. Not hard, but enough to know that it was in my ear. As I was leaning against the couch and she was sitting on the couch, I flinched my head straight into her knee. Again, we were laughing for a good while after. Tonight was also the night she discovered Bruno Mars is not actually called Bruno Mars, but Peter Hernandez. The happened prior to the ear poking incident (in fact, it may have been the instigator of the incident itself).

There was a market on tonight at our local park, advertising freshly made pizzas for a pretty cheap price. We decided to walk over to the park for a nice little family pizza dinner. We showed up to the place and it turns out the pizza was sold out. Walking back home with grim looks on our faces and stomachs still rumbling, I “subtly” suggested we had Maccas (translation: McDonalds, Mickey D’s, the Golden Arches) by humming the jingle. Mum reluctantly agreed, which is how we got to the ear poking situation.

Do you have any weird inside jokes? What do you call McDonalds?

Love, Nicky x

I'm Fully Booked

Hi everyone!

I have three assignments due in the next week, so this is one of those last-minute posts that won’t take long to do (me to me: why did I tell them that? Now they’re going to think I’m lazy). I have been focusing on the assignments a bit more than the blog post (obviously) and submitted my first one yesterday (the first of many, yippee). This week, as I am a writing student, I thought I would tell you what is currently on my reading list. I won’t be actually reading them for a while since I have more important things (ahem, assignments) to be spending my time on. However, I do have a week-long break coming up after Easter (yay!) so I might get some reading in then.

You know that post where I told you I was rereading the Harry Potter series? Yeah, well I still haven’t finished the Goblet of Fire, so that is the first book on my reading list. What I intend to do for the time being is to alternate between a Harry Potter book and a ‘new’ book (ie. One that I haven’t read before and am not simply reminiscing over my favourite scenes; eg: “Have a biscuit, Potter.”) so that I have a bit of variety mixed in with my nostalgia. I would also like to take this opportunity point out that for my first assignment, I wrote about how reading Harry Potter changes lives (if you want me to post that let me know, but as a forewarning: it is a bit long).

The next book I intend to read (which may not be for a while) is Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I got this for Christmas last year and have heard good things about it, so I am quite excited to read it (even if I don’t get around to it until July). It’s about a boy who is sent to a remote island near Wales, where he discovers a place where peculiar (and perhaps dangerous) children have been held in quarantine for many years. It sounds really interesting and, fun fact, is based on photographs Ransom Riggs found in garage sales and the like.

After finishing that, it is on to the next Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That is the one where Umbridge comes along, ruining everything. Whenever there is a scene with her in it, I’m pretty sure I sneer in disgust. That’s how bad she is. I’m pretty sure she’s on par with Voldemort in terms of evilness, if not worse. I think this book is my least favourite of the entire series, not because it is written badly, just because of Umbridge (and *spoilers* Sirius dying).

After finishing that monstrosity of a book (it is bloody huge, as Ron would say), I’m going to read another book that I got for Christmas last year. It is On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher. It’s a unique story about a woman who dies and her journey into heaven. Only she can’t get through as her soul is too heavy, due to three secrets she has literally taken with her to the grave. She must go back and sort out her secrets to make her soul lighter so she can get into heaven. Along the way, she learns about life and love (and may even fall in love).

Then I’ll read the Half-Blood Prince, which I think is my next least favourite book of the series. It goes without saying that I hate death.

 

Before reading the final Harry Potter book (Deathly Hallows) I will read Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It is a book about two exes, who find themselves working together to destroy a deadly thing (I don’t know what it is, it’s crossed out in the blurb). The twist is that it is written entirely in documentation and lists, so it is kind of open to interpretation I think. It should be an interesting read either way.

That is my entire reading list for the moment (which should last me until the end of the decade if I keep reading at the rate that I am) until I get more books. There are a few that are on my radar (maybe I’ll do a post about that soon).

Did you enjoy this post? What books are on your current reading list?

Love, Nicky x

Current Evening Routine

Hey peeps!

I’m sorry this is a day late. I had a draft due this week and had no idea how to do it, so it took a bit longer than I planned. Anyway, we’re here now and that’s the main thing. Next week’s post might also be late as I have four things due in the space of one week (eek!). If I’m proactive and conscientious, everything should be as normal, but don’t count on it; I am a chronic procrastinator, after all.

When I come home after a long day at uni, there is nothing I love more than relaxing with a good evening routine. It really helps me to destress and unwind before bed time. Of course, there is work I have to do between getting home and going to bed, but this comes after that.

First, it is shower time! I’m currently using the Sugar Crush body wash from Soap and Glory, but once I finish that I have a few other body washes to get through (including the Snow Fairy one from Lush). When I wash my hair (which happens every couple of nights), I use Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine shampoo and conditioner (there only travel size), which makes my hair nice and soft.

After washing my body and hair, I then wash my face. At the moment, I am using The Body Shop’s Aloe Calming Foaming Wash, which goes onto my hand already foamed up, then I rub it all over my face and rinse under the shower water. I use The Body Shop’s face buffer thing about once a week (with the facewash, of course) as my skin isn’t too bad (touch wood) and doesn’t require as much exfoliation. Then I get out of the shower and put my pyjamas on.

Going back to exfoliation, the next step in my routine is to tone my face with some Clinique Clarifying Lotion. I put a little bit on a cotton pad and wipe it all over my face. After doing this, I always check the cotton pad to see how much dead skin and dirt it took off my face. If it’s a particularly sweaty day, there is a lot more than on a relatively normal day.

About once a week, I like to use a face mask. I decide on which face mask to use based on how my skin feels and looks on the day. The three masks I do have are Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask, Lush’s Oatifix Fresh Face Mask, and Lush’s Cupcake Fresh Face Mask. This time, I decided on the Formula 10.0.6 one, as my skin wasn’t too bad. I tend to save the Lush ones for when my skin is really bad. I smear the mask all over my face (only a thin layer) and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. This mask, in particular, has a tingly, kind of burning sensation for a little bit at the beginning. Don’t worry, this is supposed to happen! Then I wash it off under warm water and use a damp face cloth to get rid of any bits the water missed.

Then I go in with some Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish moisturiser – which I have raved about many times before – all over my face, then rub it in to make sure it’s being used to its full potential.  I then lightly pat my face to feel how smooth it is. There is no skincare purpose to this, I just like feeling how smooth and soft my face is.

After moisturising, my routine is pretty much over. I then do all the necessary things before going to bed: brush my teeth, take my puffer, put my laptop on the charge, maybe read a book if I feel like it, watch a couple of YouTube videos, and schedule tweets for the next day. Then I go to sleep. I generally fall asleep at around 11 pm, which isn’t great, but I’m trying to get better.

So that’s my current evening routine, I do hope you enjoyed it!

What’s your evening routine? Do you like mine? 

Love, Nicky x