The Liebster Award

Hey guys, 

So I'm back with another tag post for you. I have been tagged in 'The Liebster Award' six times, so I thought it's time that I got round to doing it! Therefore,I'm going to pick a few questions from each set and answer them (there may be more than 11 questions, sorry guys!) 

The rules of the Liebster award are:

1. Mention the blogger who tagged you and thank them. Thank you to Imogen, Samantha, Elie, Charlotte, Elle and Claire for tagging me. They all have lovely blogs and you should definitely check them out! I'm going to try and answer a couple of questions from each, I hope that's okay, as otherwise this post would be insanely long! (Sorry guys, there may be more than 11 questions!)

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger has asked you.

What is your favourite subject to blog about?
I'd say my favourite thing to blog about is either beauty or lifestyle. I love writing reviews and doing a monthly favourites, yet I also love writing about days out.

Are you a party animal or a home comforts kind of person?
Well, this question depends fully on how I'm feeling, but I do love a good night out, and when I'm at uni, I probably go out 2/3 times a week. However, when I'm feeling tired and drained, I do love to just chill out and binge watch a series on Netflix with a bar of chocolate.

Who / what first got you into blogging?
To be honest, I always wanted to start a blog, but never did as I never had the confidence to do so. However, one of my best friends also has a blog, and she had told me many a time to start one, so one day I just thought, what the hell, as I love to write. 

What is your greatest fear?
This was quite hard to answer, considering I hate spiders, I'm claustrophobic and have social anxiety. But probably spiders, because they are just awful.

What do you value most in life?
Family, friends and good health.

Which is your favourite season of the year and why?
My favourite season is either winter (because of Christmas, as I love Christmas sooooo much!) or summer, as even though I have horrific hayfever, I love the weather and just the fact that it's the holidays and everyone is just so positive. Plus, I do love a good Pimms, which is a summer staple.

Lipstick - matte or shiny?

Either, it completely depends on my mood, as I do love a matte red, yet also love a shiny pink.

What do you hope to achieve in the next few years?

I hope to have finished university and started a job that I love, maybe something within PR or within the media. I would also like to have travelled the world.

Rose gold - yay or nay?

Definitely yay, which blogger doesn't love a bit of rose gold, ey? Plus, it looks so pretty with neutrals such as grey or white.

Where would you like to travel to most in the world?
Either the Maldives or Seychelles, as they look so beautiful. I would also like to visit Australia and New Zealand.

What is your current favourite make-up product?
My boyfriend recently bought me the Urban Decay Naked Illuminating Powder, and it is absolutely stunning, so yeah, been loving that!

What's your happiest memory of 2016 so far?

It definitely has to be the birth of my youngest cousin, Sophia Jane. She's so gorgeous, it was lovely to have another addition to the family.

Who is your role model?
Probably my mum. I know it sounds cliche (and a tad corny), but she is definitely the one person I look up to, she's so kind and caring, and I really hope that I make her proud. If I'm anything like her when I'm older, then I'll be happy.

Morning person or night owl?
For anyone who knows me, they will know that I am definitely a night owl. You will be lucky to find me awake before noon, yet I can stay up until the early hours and be so productive.

Starter or dessert?
Ooo, think it's going to have be dessert, as I have a serious sweet tooth! My personal favourites are Eton Mess, pavlova or tiramisu. 

If you could have five celebrities over for dinner, dead or alive, who would they be?
I love this question! ! I would invite Nelson Mandela, as he would be so inspiring and so interesting to talk to. Secondly, I'd invite JK Rowling, as who wouldn't?! An incredible author and someone who would tell the most amazing stories. I'd also invite Dame Maggie Smith, as I think she would have such amazing stories about the film industry. Then probably Paul McCartney for the entertainment, as I love The Beatles' music and I loved seeing him live last year! And last, but not least, I'd pick Jack O'Connell, as, if you've read my earlier posts, you'll know that I have a tiny(!) crush on him, and when I met him he was so lovely, and talked to me about Middlesbrough and the football. So yeah, would be an interesting dinner party!

What is the best holiday you have been on in the past?

I have been very fortunate in the fact that I have been on some amazing holidays, for which I am very thankful for! It's hard to pick, but I'd say one of my favourites has to be when I went to New York and Florida with my family, as exploring the city of New York was fantastic, as visiting all the sites was just insane! And then visiting Disney and Universal was fab, as I do love a good theme park, and I'm a true Disney geek!

Sweets or chocolate?

This honestly depends on the kind of mood I'm in! I love both, with my favourites being Galaxy, Dairy Milk and Haribo.

What do you do for a living?

I study English Language at the University of Birmingham, and love it! I actually started the year doing Psychology, but really didn't like it, so switched half way through.

Favourite film?
Either Grease, Back to the Future or One Day. I also love the Breakfast Club.

What is your favourite genre of music?
I have no idea of how to describe this, maybe 'indie rock'? I love bands such as The Wombats, The Vaccines, blur and Oasis. However, I also love older music, such as The Beach Boys and The Kinks.

Savoury or Sweet foods?
Sweet! 

Lipstick or lipgloss?
Both (am I allowed to say that?)

Do you speak any other languages? 
Well, I learnt French for 5 years at school, so I can technically speak French. However, I can't remember that much, so maybe not. 

Who is your dream date? 
As mentioned earlier, it's definitely Jack O'Connell! I loved him as Cook in Skins.

Nominate 5-11 bloggers.
I nominate the very lovely: 

• Rebecca from Static Nova
• Hannah from HannahsBeautifulLife
• Lucy from Just Lucy's Life
• Hannah from The Hannah Louise
• Claire from Grab Your Camera

Give them 11 questions to answer.

1. If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose to live?
3. If you could travel back in time, is there a moment in history that you would like to visit?
4. Beach or pool?
5. What is your favourite make-up product?
6. Favourite social media platform?
7. What is the best advice that you ever received?
8. What is your favourite brand of clothing?
9. What is your favourite flower?
10. What is your favourite drink?
11. What beauty brand would you most like to try out next?

Notify your nominees on Twitter.

Review | Chatterbox by Mac

Chatterbox by Mac - £15.50

Hey guys, 

I'm back with yet another mini review, but I thought this lipstick too pretty to not feature on my blog!

So as it is spring, I thought a change of lip colour was much needed. I always seem to go for a more nude/darker lip, as I normally wear Cosmo or Velvet Teddy (both by Mac). However, I have recently been seeing a lot of people rocking (yes, I did just say 'rocking') a pink lip. I have always wanted to try this, yet always thought it to be too bold for me, especially with my pale complexion. However, after trying this beautiful shade, I have truly been converted to loving the pink, as it adds a pop of colour to a normal day-to-day look. 

The colour itself seems brighter in person that it does on the lip, which I like, as even though I am trying to go out of my comfort zone, I don't think I could pull off a very bold colour. It glides on easily, and you don't need a lot to get a full colour, due to its high pigmentation. Plus, as someone who doesn't wear eye-shadow during the day, I would say this is the perfect alternative to adding a pop of colour to your make-up, especially if you have gone for a more natural look. 

If you're looking for a pink that isn't too bright, I'd definitely recommend Chatterbox. It's perfect for a spring/summer make up, as it is vibrant, but not too bold. 

Overall, it's a lovely colour, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new colour for spring! Which lip products are you loving at the moment? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Much love,

Grace x

Review | St Tropez Gradual Tan

Hey guys,

So if you follow me on Instagram (if not, my username is thatnorthernlass), then you will know that I have recently decided to change from looking like a snowman, and to try and give my skin a bit more of a glow. Therefore, I purchased the St Tropez Gradual Tan in Light/Medium for face and body, as my skin is literally translucent and I was bored of being so pale. Plus, it is almost summer, so I thought it perfect time to try it! I got it from Boots, as it was buy one get one half price, so as my student loan had just come in, I thought I'd treat myself, considering I won't be spending that much during the exam period. Plus, who doesn't love a new beauty product to try out?

First things first, I loved the application of this. I had heard quite a lot of people calling St Tropez streaky, so was a tad apprehensive, yet this was not at all. I don't know if it was because if it was for light skin, so you can't really see a massive difference, or if it was because it was a gradual tan. However, it was easy to apply and my hands weren't stained after application (I know you are supposed to use a mitt, but I thought, as it was a lotion, I'll try it without). Plus, it actually smelt quite nice when applying, however it turned to a faint stereotypical fake tan scent after a day.

It appeared to work straight away. Obviously, I couldn't really see the difference as it was so gradual, yet my friends were asking why I was suddenly a little more tanned, so at least it looked natural! Plus, I have very sensitive skin due to eczema, yet it was fine with my skin, and didn't sink into dry parts like other fake tans appear to do.

Overall, I thought that this was a great product. I would recommend this to people who don't want to go all out with tan, but have quite a pale complexion like me and just want a bit more of a healthy glow.

What is your favourite tanning product? I'd love to know your recommendations!

I hope that you enjoyed this mini post, and I'm really sorry for the lack of posts recently, just uni has literally been taking over my life (in the past 2 weeks I have written 6000 words and I still can't tell you what corpus linguistics is!), so you can probably see why my blog has taken a back seat during this time. However, I will be getting more posts up soon, as I have a lot planned!

Much love amigos,

Grace x