Booklook: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

When I saw this book on the shelf at WHSmiths I was completely drawn in by the title. "We are all Completely Besides Ourselves" sounds like some physoctic, dysfunctional book I'd probably take enjoyment in as it will make my life appear more normal. Just kidding. I've mentioned in an old blog post that I'm into thought-provoking novels, a book that actually changes your way of thinking, instead of a fluffy novel that you could read with your eyes closed. Well this book has opened my mind up to learning about things I would never have even thought about before and that's why I love it. 

The blurb of the book mentions sibling rivalry so I expected a few feuds here and there hidden in a nitty gritty story but this book completely took me by surprise. I don't want to spoil the massive twist, as part of the enjoyment of reading this book for me was finding out something I did not expect or see coming, but about 40 pages in or so, this novel takes a massive U-turn and completely sucks you in. Like I said, it's like nothing I've ever read before. I'll give you a clue with the tagline on the back - "What if you grew up to realise your father had used your childhood as an experiment?" This book combines the black and white of science with the irrationality of family and love. 

I've never read any books by Karen Joy Fowler before but I really enjoyed her factual yet personal style of writing. The passion she has for the topic really comes through her writing. If you're looking for a book that will change your perspective on life or something that has a spin on the conventional family life set up, this book is most definitely for you. 

Next up, UnSpeakable by Abbie Rushton. Feel free to read along with me and/or stay tuned for my next book review! 

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." - George RR Martin

Lots of love,

Lily

BLOGIVERSSARY!

Happy Birthday to blog, happy Birthday to blog, bla bla bla.... you get the record. Today my blog turned 1 year old! What a baby! I can't quite believe I've had this little space of the internet for a whole year though. 

When I first evaluated how far I've come in that small but quite lengthy amount of time my inital reaction was bleurgh. You know like the shock of a bath bomb hitting the water then fizzing out. Not because I haven't LOVED this past year of blogging, or not appreciated anyone who has left a comment or followed my blog, but because I felt like my blog is moving slooooow. What I mean by that is a year down the line, I've only secured 71 GFC followers and 50 Bloglovin' followers.

I then immediately water slapped my bath bomb self and returned to earth as I realised how shallow I sounded. All water puns intended. Yeah my blog isn't a revolution, it might not be regularly viewed and you might not even be reading this as I sit and consider my words. But you know what, none of that even matters to me because I can sit back and say I'm happy with my content and the effort that I put into my blog. It's just a hobby and since when did people market their hobbies? Sure, I'd love to become an overnight sensation but until I do I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing and writing what I'm writing because it brings me happiness and that was the aim when I first created this blog. 

I want to throw it back to my first ever blog post - an introductory one all about myself (how egotistical) in the hopes that anyone who is new to my site can learn a bit about who I am and what this blog is about. 

View the original post here. ROLL ON 14 YEAR OLD ME...

Seeing as I am new to the world of blogging, I thought there would be no better way to introduce myself than a first blog all about moi. 

I'm not one for self-indulging or anything, but I feel it is important to know a little bit about the person behind the blog - the rest you will probably learn as I continue to write blog posts!

So firstly, my name is Lily Rose Lowe (lilyroselowe was taken so I had to settle for lilyroselo) and I am 14 years old. I have always had a passion for writing and I love the idea of reflecting who I am through my posts and sharing my life in a sort of online scrapbook! 

A few more of my loves include makeup, fashicumon, drawing and baking. Oh and did I mention that I am a huuuuge Disney fanatic? I am forever being told to return to the real world, as being an Aquarian I can often be foolish and impractical. The truth is though, I love my crazy, fantasy world and there's no place I'd rather be!

My dream in life is to be happy. I know that sounds so cliché, but I genuinely believe that you should do whatever you are interested in, as we perform best at what we like. I am confident that blogging will bring a lot of happiness into my life, not only as a cool new hobby but because I am also considering journalism as a career path and writing blog posts will be a more casual and laid-back way of practicing my writing skills and expressing my personality. 

There was a lot of umm-ing and ahh-ing about creating a blog - what would the people at school think? Would anybody be interested for that matter? After plenty of debating, I decided that I needed to just throw myself forward if I want to succeed in this big, daunting world and stop worrying about what others think and start focusing on what makes me happy.

I am really excited to start writing blog posts so be prepared for lots of recipes, fashion lookbooks, makeup tutorials and chatty posts about what I've been up to! 

Over the past year I've definitely acumilated a few favourite posts I've written, some that have barely even be viewed, but they're the ones that I put a lot of effort in to or make me feel happiest when I look back. Feel free to have a snoop!

- Sinless Cookies Recipe

- Urban Decay Electric Palette Review & Drugstore Alternative!

- London Sightseeing and Chocolate Tour

- Back 2 School: Outfit Ideas & Drugstore Makeup

- Thursday Thoughts: Mañana

- My M.A.C Lipstick Collection - Swatches & Reviews!

- My Trip to the Seaside

- Triple Chocolate Cookies Recipe

- Sinless Cookies Recipe

- Jamie's Italian, Wicked and Squirrels

- My Top 5 Skin Care Products

A massive thank you goes out to any of you who have followed my blog, left a comment or even read one of my posts from start to finish. It means so much to me!

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." - Steve Jobs

Lots of love,

Lily

February Favourites

Hey guys! I thought I'd try something new today with a never-before-done favourites post! It's basically a roundup of all the items I've been loving this month, so let's get started! 

First up... Stila One Step Correct. Can we just talk about the packaging for a minute? The way the different colours are all pretty and swirly baffles me, I love it! I got this from Marks & Spencers (who knew there was such makeup glory lurking in M&S?!) for £24 after hearing all the hype about this product.  Well I have to say this primer really is a miracle worker, perfect for any of you who suffer with redness like me as the green is great for combatting that. The lilac minimizes sallow tones so I like to put this under my eyes where I get a lot of dullness and the peach is just an overall brightener for the skin. This feels lovely and light on the skin, and I can actually see it balancing out my skin tone from the minute I apply it - a real winner! 

I've been eager to try the Rimmel Provocalips Lip Lacquers for quite some time now being a keen 'over-drawer' when it comes to the lip department. What I mean to say is I have quite thin lips so I'll usually line my lips quite heavily for more definition and shape, which looks great at first but it's such a pain if you're planning to eat a lot (or kiss - wink wink) and I'll often find myself checking in the mirror only to see No. Remains. Of. Lips. Anywhere. This is why I was in need of something super long-wearing and I have to say, long-wearing isn't even the word for this product. This literally doesn't come off. It goes on at first a lovely shiny, quite sheer gloss and then when you set it with the white transparent lacquer it becomes matte and completely sets. You'll have to try it to see what I mean but you can literally rub your mouth intensely or scrub your lips with a toothbrush and this won't budge! I finally got mine off after a long sleep and hardcore scrubbing, but trust me, it wasn't easy! This might be a huge put off for some, but like I previously mentioned, I love a lip product that is guaranteed to stay. They're also reasonably priced around the £5-7 mark, depending where you shop.

L - R - 200 I'll Call You (A dark purplish pink) and 110 Dare to Pink (A light, nudey pink)

I've rekindled my love with a trusty favourite in the past, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. This eyebrow pencil is completely unique to any brow pencil I've used before with an ultra fine nip and softer, waxier texture perfect for drawing on fine hairs. The spoolie on the other end is also so dense which makes brushing the brows out a delight and keeps them nice and natural looking. This definitely is more on the pricey side at £15 but it is worth every penny in my mind as it makes filling in the brows so easy!

I was always a 'felt tip liner kinda gal', usually Collection 2000 was my go-to, that was until I finally decided to take the plunge outside of my comfort zone and try a gel liner. I wasn't (and still aren't) entirely sure of the ins and outs of gel liner but I was aware of how frequently used it is by professionals in the makeup industry when getting that desired wing shape. I still need a lot of practice, and a slightly better angled brush (my Hair & Makeup Addiction one is getting a little rugged for want of a better word) but I'm getting more and more used to the gel consistency and also enjoy wearing winged eyeliner now (something I wasn't too fond of on my self when I used felt tip). This Maybelline Lasting Drama one is great for beginners as it's completely affordable at the price of £7.99 and isn't too scary to work with. It also comes with a brush so even more bang for your buck!

Moving on to non-beauty favourites, my read this month has been a book by Karen Joy Fowler called "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves". I don't want to spoil too much as there is a full in depth book review coming up very soon so stay on the look out if you're interested, but this book completely took me by surprise and really fascinated me as it's like nothing I've read before. I definitely recommend it if you're one for thinking in new ways and learning new things. 

A food favourite this month (and every other month of the year quite frankly) is Sultana Bran. That's right, good old substantial sultana bran. I have this for breakfast every morning and it's great for providing myself with the well-needed energy for the day (I don't need to go on about how important breakfast is, do I kids?) and is even more tasty with some banana!

I'm also obsessed with my phone case at the moment. This was a real bargain, only £2 from Primark! It's just so pretty and mesmerising with the iridescent shattered glass effect with undertones of blues, greens and lilacs. It actually reminds be a lot of an ice bar or something from Frozen!

This month I've started watching an American ABC series called Revenge on my Now TV - another thing I've been loving! If you're a fan of Pretty Little Liars you'll love this with the same genre of drama/mystery. It's set in the Hamptons and is about a girl trying to right the wrongs done to her family by making them pay the price. I'm only on season 1 but I am addicted so far!

Lastly, and quite randomly, I've been loving roses because it is of course the month of lurveeeee. We've had them scattered about our house for the past week and a bit and I can't help but admire their beauty everytime I walk past them. They remind me of one of my favourite Disney films Beauty and the Beast and fresh flowers always make me happy!

What have you been loving throughout the course of February? 

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to me nice." - Unknown

Lots of love,

Lily