BLOGMAS 2016 DAY 15 - Christmas Home Decor

Yesterday I shared  how we have decorated our Christmas tree this year so for today's Blogmas post I am going to share some snaps of the other bits of Christmas decor in our home! We have what is called a '1st of December' box where the majority of decorations are taken out except the tree. This particular box though is no longer a single box and is in fact about 12 boxes but the name still stands!

Review | Zoella Lifestyle

I cannot even explain how excited I was to get my hands on some of the new Zoella Lifestyle products. I do like Zoella Beauty but I feel the Lifestyle items are more appealing to an older audience, not that I'm old but well a guinea pig makeup bag just isn't quite for me.

The products are part of Boots' Christmas range so you are able to pick up these goodies on 3 for 2 making them even better value for money. They are very reasonably priced and just absolutely gorgeous products. 

BLOGMAS DAY 11 - YouTuber Book Gift Guide

It seems like everytime a YouTuber makes a 'big announcement' that it is going to be that they are writing a book. There is literally a whole section of books by bloggers in shops now which is insane!  I've been a bit guilty in buying most of them and I feel it's either something you're gonna love or have no interest in. There are some great ones out there and as currently YouTube is a massive market, I thought I would put together a little gift guide!

Zoella's New Beauty Range!

My sister and I took a trip into the city to pick up a selection of Zoella's new beauty range last month, we were so excited! I had a few products from her first collection which I liked but it didn't totally blow me away in all honesty. I was very intrigued by the Tutti Fruitti theme of the collection and couldn't wait to try it out!

Review of Zoella's Girl Online!

I finally got a chance to read Zoella's debut novel Girl Online this month! I purchased it as a Christmas present for my sister with the request that I got to read it when she was finished ha! If you have heard nothing about Girl Online, it's about a teenage girl called Penny who struggles with anxiety and always finds herself in some kind of embarrassing mishap. Her life suddenly changes when she goes on a big adventure and has a whirlwind romance with an eighteen year old musician. I have mixed thoughts regarding this book so here it goes!

Firstly, I think I was a little too old for this novel. I was initially put off purchasing this for myself when I saw on Amazon that it's target reading age was 11 years old. Surely the majority of Zoe's subscribers aren't that young? I think this was a bad move on her part but still an excellent one as people still purchased the book regardless as it's by Zoella after all! I couldn't care less if it was ghost written as I have no doubt that Zoella contributed to the book. I did however, find the writing style a bit immature for my age and even my sister who is way closer to the target age than me felt similar! I am by no means saying it was written badly but I think I am just a little too old to appreciate it properly.

I loved the cultural references to the UK in Girl Online, I thought they were such a nice touch! They would only really mean anything if you live here I suppose but I thought it made the novel very British and that must be kind of cool for international readers! My favourite part of the book was most definitely when Penny went to New York with her parents. I am desperate to visit there so really anything to do with NYC makes me happy!

I also highly commend Zoe for addressing anxiety and similar issues within the novel as you don't often see it in mainstream media. Hopefully it will let other young girls know that it is very common and it's nothing to be ashamed of! I also thought the message regarding growing out of your friends was very thoughtful and reassuring for younger girls. 

I didn't love this book but it was a nice, quick read. It gets quite addictive when you start reading as the chapters are pretty short and before you know it you've read tonnes! I found it a bit unrealistic in places but as a Media student, I was maybe just reading into it a bit much. I absolutely loved the whole concept of Penny being a blogger and the social media aspects of the book. I thought that was very current and something that I personally haven't seen in a book before. It was a refreshing read and I would recommend it if you very looking for a cute little romance novel! I think the younger you are, the more you will enjoy this book.

Have you read Girl Online? If so, what did you think of it?

Zoella Beauty Review

                             

Zoella was one of the first vloggers I took interest in so I was very excited to hear she was releasing a beauty range. If you have not heard of her before, Zoe Sugg aka Zoella is a massive UK based vlogger and fashion/beauty blogger. I purchased two products from her range when they were released to try out. 

Overall, I would say the products are excellent value for money. They were much cheaper than I anticipated them to be so that was a pleasant surprise. Her shower/bath cream, bath fizzers, body lotion and candle are priced at  £5. Additionally, the makeup bags and body mist retail at £8. I think the price range makes them affordable for everyone especially ideal for Zoella's younger teen viewers. I love the design of the packaging, it's very attractive and girly.

I recieved 'Soap Opera' first and was excited to try it as I love purchasing different shower creams. I would say it smells rather floral but it's not overpowering. I do like this product but I am not overwhelmed by it. I don't think it leaves much scent on my skin when used as a shower cream. It can alternatively be used as a bath soak which I have not tried as I never take baths! 

I could not order the 'Blissful Mistful' body mist on release date as it was sold out everywhere but I did manage to get a hold of a bottle a few weeks later. It smells similar to the shower cream but slightly stronger. It's quite a sweet smelling perfume and does smell nice when first sprayed onto your skin. The only downside I would say is that I don't think it lasts for very long. However, retailing at £8 I think makes it an excellent addition to any girl's perfume collection! It is definitely worth the money. 

I can't see myself trying out any of the other products in Zoella's beauty range as I would not use the bath fizzers and I feel a little old for the designs on the make up bags! I would however, possibly purchase the candle to accessorise my room. I would definitely try out other products from Zoella in the future. 

Have you purchased any of the items from the Zoella beauty range? What do you think of them?