Treasure Hunt | February

February has definitely been a month of new experiences and that certainly reflects in this little haul I picked up along the way. A lot of these things have been very new to me, but after a whole month with them I can certainly say, they're all here to stay! Lets have a looksy:

Boss RC 1 Loop Station Pedal _______________________________________________________

This month I actually managed to get a gig that paid me good money and with that money I decided to invest in my music a little bit more. I decided to buy a loop pedal, I'd seen people use them over the years and have always wanted a try, but just couldn't justify the price. But now I'm doing regular gigs and it has always just been me on my own with my lil'-plinky-plonky guitar, I thought it would be a good next step into adding a bit of backbone to my songs. Basically a loop pedal allows you to set certain rhythms or melodies down and loop them continuously until you tell it to stop. It is taking a lot of practice because I have recently discovered that my sense of rhythm isn't as good as I thought it was, oops. And there's nothing worse than an out of sync performance! So it's going to take me a long time before I can use it in live shows, but I've just been having fun with it this month. I did manage to use it in a recent youtube video and although parts of it are out of sync, I am happy with how it sounds and what it gives to the songs. It was worth it for the amount of fun I'm having with layering beats and harmonies on top of eachother, one day I'll be as good as Ed Sheeran or Jack Garrett with it, hopefully!

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Berets____________________________________________________________________________

I briefly mentioned this in a Monday post but, I've been digging berets ever since I cut my hair off. I just think they suit me so well and I didn't think the would. They're also a perfect add-on to any outfit if you can't be arsed doing anything to your hair and they're also surprisingly warm. I now currently have four berets and I know that's quite extensive and I need to stop, but I can't get enough of that Parisian/Audrey Hepburn vibe. Honestly for all of this month you would have found me on the local bus, heading to work with minimal makeup, an assorted beret and sunglasses. It's a look I tell you! 

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NYX Precision Brow Pencil | Soft Brown______________________________________________

I have used the same eyebrow pencil for a long, long while. The Soap & Glory Archery eyebrow pencil was an absolute staple to my makeup bag for years and I used to have heart palpitations when it was running low! My brows are my pride and joy and I tend to get a lot of compliments for them, I never let anyone touch them and after some intense Dua Lipa stalking I have decided to grow them out a lil' bit. Anyway I went to buy my holy-grail Archery, when to my horror it wasn't stocked anymore, -honestly I nearly cried-  But I pulled myself together and decided to try something new. I settled for NYX because I've been using their foundation and it's pretty good so far and it's a cruelty free brand. So I picked up this scary looking thing and haven't looked back! I think the colour is perfect for my complexion and it just looks so much more natural, also I love that it comes with a spooly brush so you can comb through those Dua-brows and feel like you DGAF, I'll show myself out. 

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Nag Champa Ayurveda Incense Pack _________________________________________________

This was actually a Christmas present from my Dad, but because I also got an amalgamation of candles for Christmas, I've been burning those instead. But once they ran out, I turned to trying these out and wow. They all smell amazing! The only ones I haven't burned are the white sage scent and the signature Nag Champa branded scent because I feel like those are definitely for special occasions,

 -white sage is totally being saved for those days with negative vibes and they are few and far between at the moment- My favourite scents in this pack include:

Mystic Yoga - for you know, doing mystic yoga at 3am 

Nirvana - a light and floral burn 

Tree of Life - a fresh burn, perfect for a morning pick-me-up 

Satya Super Hit - An incredibly strong and powerful burn, perfect for spiritual tarot readings and spreading onto your clothes making you smell like a music festival

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ELF Contour Set__________________________________________________________________

I am a pale bean. And have therefor struggled with contour, I'm always terrified that I look like I have mud on my face, but I still long for dem cheekbones. So I decided to try out this contour set. It looked terrifying at first, but once this stuff is blended on the cheeks, it's so subtle. It's exactly what I wanted out of a contour kit and I am now equipped for dem cheekbones and dat contour. And paired with my ELF highlighter, it's a match made in heaven, especially on gloomy days waiting for spring, your face can still be poppin' Also ELF is so affordable man and cruelty free I was so surprised. 

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dodie | Secrets for the Mad - Audio Book _____________________________________________

 I found myself in the middle of Waterstones reading this book and couldn't put it down. But couldn't afford the price at the time. So I decided to use my free Audible trial and download the narrated version by dodie herself. This was such a brilliant decision, because dodie's voice is already familiar and calming to me because of her ASMR videos. I would turn a chapter on and find myself just drifting off to sleep, which was nice but also quite annoying because I wanted to hear what she had to say! I did eventually get to hear it all, after rewinding back to chapters I had slept through and I found this book to be so sweet and honest. Although, maybe I was a little old for the target audience, I still enjoyed listening to her advice about relationships and life etc. I just applaud dodie for being so open and honest, it mustn't be easy with such a wide audience now. I've heard this book be described as 'the older sister that everybody needs' and that's exactly it, she so wise and yet so vulnerable. Also a little perk of the audio book is a song before the beginning of each chapter, which is so lovely seems as she's a professional musician. It's such a wonderful book and definitely something different that stands out against the pumped out youtuber 'merch' books that are flooding the millennial shelves at the moment. I would definitely recommend buying the audio-book though, it's so well produced and you feel every. single. word. 

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Honorable Mentions _______________________________________________________________

- Allllll the films, especially the Oscar noms, reviews coming soon 

- My youtube channel, do you know I started a channel, I don't talk about it a lot 

- My best friends comic Amber, go read it, it's magical and took a lot of hard work you won't regret!

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What treasures have you found this month?

    

Treasure Hunt | October

I've been trying a few new things this month. Here are the treasures I have collected this October:

Batiste 2in1 Dry Shampoo & Conditioner Combo | Vanilla & Passionflower_________________

I cut my hair this month and after being informed by my hairdresser that it would get greasy faster, I decided to stock up on dry shampoo. Then I saw this in my local Superdrug and after picking my desired scent (there are three to choose from) I decided to give it a go. She was right, my hair used to be able to go through a whole week without a wash, but now it starts getting greasy by Wednesday which is a new experience for me altogether -greasy hair feels weirdd- This stuff works exactly like dry shampoo and to be honest I don't really notice the difference of the conditioner aspect. I essentially bought it for the scent, it's so unusual and overpowering for a dry shampoo, but it's so bloody nice. The smell stays in your hair until you wash it again as well and you only need a little bit applied to your whole head to give your hair volume again. I request for this scent to be made into a perfume pretty please! 

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Cereria Molla Black Vanilla Scented Soy Candle _______________________________________

I picked this up in TK Maxx when I noticed they had all their festive candles laid out. TK Maxx is definitely the best place for candles, especially soy candles and they're not expensive at all. I'm not normally keen on vanilla scents but this is much more musky than the usual sickly, sweet smell. It also is a really slow burner and fills the whole room with a warm, wintery scent, perfect for the cosy nights and fairy lights aesthetic. 

Magic Organic Apothecary | The Green Balm __________________________________________

This wondrous balm came to me by chance whilst shopping with my mum. We headed to one of my favourite shops in Cumbria; a tiny shop called The Linden Tree which sells jewellery and cute things. This was on a little table with other MOA products and I was drawn to the beautiful packaging. I'd never heard of this brand before but they are 100% organic and cruelty free, I asked the lady that ran the shop and she told me the company was created by a woman in Norfolk and now they have their own store in London, good going! The products are based around one main ingredient; yarrow which apparently helps heal and soothe, among other things. I bought this because I am still covered in scars from my adventures in Sicily and I'm hoping the magical yarrow makes it disappear 'abracadabra', it has already made a difference in a month and it leaves my skin feeling ultra soft and the smell is so calming. I'll definitely be buying more from this brand in the future. 

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Moon Necklace____________________________________________________________________

Got to stay on brand haven't I! I bought this b e a u t i f u l necklace in a charity shop for just £2! I saw it in the window and just knew it was meant for me, I've been wearing it nearly everyday this month and it brings me a lot of comfort and happiness knowing the moon is close to me. 

Pentel Brush Ink Pen & White Gel Pen _______________________________________________

This month got me back into drawing again and I watched a lot of illustrators on Youtube that use these pens to get the best from their technique. I love drawing in detail and these pens still allow me to do that, but add something else to my drawings and I've been having such fun experimenting with them in my lil' sketchbook. 

Yoga Mat & Yoga with Adriene _____________________________________________________

This month I started and completed the 30 Day Yoga Challenge on Yoga with Adriene's channel. Yoga has definitely allowed me to tackle my anxiety and give me motivation this month. I tend to do a half hour session every morning before breakfast and I can't tell you how good it feels to get back on the mat again, especially when I have a brand spanking new mat. This 'sunset' mat from Amazon is beautiful and the colours are very calming, it grips well and isn't too heavy to carry around. You don't have to have a mat to do yoga, but it does help with the motivation and some of the trickier poses. I'm about to start The Yoga Camp on Adriene's channel as well, hopefully I'll be able to stand on my head by December! 

SHOP

The End Of The Fucking World _____________________________________________________

I watched the first episode of this on channel 4 and then proceeded to binge watch the rest straight after. It's a really clever and creative program, taking inspiration from Submarine and and all Wes Anderson films. I love the aesthetic of it and the comedy. The plot revolves around two wayward teens who decide to go on a very irrational and riot fuelled roadtrip. It's soo good and you can watch it all on All4 for freee!

Stranger Things __________________________________________________________________

I know I've already mentioned it but I'll keep it brief. This show man, there's nothing else like it, it's a cut above the rest and I'm so happy it exists. That's all I'll say, I can't believe I have to wait until next Halloween to get my ST fix again. #SteveHarringtonMotherOf6 

What's your favourite treasure from this month? 

       

   

Treasure Hunt | May

Although I didn't think I would have any treasures to show this month because I've been saving up for summer. I completely forgot it was my Birthday month, so I've gathered a few things I was gifted and a few things that I have picked up along the way for practicalities. Got quite a mixture this month, here are the treasures I have collected in May:

I Like it When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It // Vinyl_____________

This was one of my main Birthday presents from my mum and I was so emosh' and surprised over it because I didn't ask her, she just knew I needed this album in my life. I'm going to put it out there and say that this is my favourite album of all time, there I said it! It's the structure I think, it has perfect structure. The songs are placed within the album perfectly and the thread just flows so beautifully. This album has been out for a year now and I have listened to it probably over 100 times, I bring it our for every event because the songs are so diverse. I put it on when I'm sad, I put it on when I'm angry, at parties, when I'm happy, when I can't sleep. If I get married I'd love to come down the isle to ILIWYSFYASBYSUOI and I'm guaranteed I'll choose at least one song to be played at my funeral later down the line (morbid but true). So it was only a given that I needed this album on vinyl and my mum knew this and treated me to this absolute beauty. It contains two LP's because the album is so long and both records are clear in colour (that aesthetic though). And not to mention the artwork inside, it's just wonderful and being the fangirl that I am; probably the most precious thing I now own, sorry not sorry. This album will be with me for years to come and that's exciting.

New Sunglasses ___________________________________________________________________

Because I'm actually going abroad this summer and I've never actually owned some proper UV protected sunglasses. I usually only get them from vintage and charity shops and I mean they're well stylish but not very practical at all! I picked these up in TK Maxx this month and I can't for the life of me remember what brand they are, I'm so sorry! I know they have a red love heart on the side and I think it started with a B? Possibly Betty something? Nah I can't remember, dammit. They're great though and quite unusual, you can't see in the picture but they have these yellow reflective lenses that make me look like a fly but I dig it. It'll be nice to actually be able to see when the days are sunny especially when I'm wandering around Italy!

Doing It | Hannah Witton __________________________________________________________

I got this for my birthday from my boo Emily. She told me it was to help with all those 'indie boys'oh god. I've just finished it though and it was a very interesting, funny and helpful read. Hannah's writing style is very similar to her vlogging style; very chatty and down to earth. She is also very open and honest about her sex life and it makes you feel like you're just talking with a friend. It also contains a lot of very important information about consent, porn, un-healthy relationships and the LGBTQ+ community. It makes you think about the amount of sexual education we are taught in school and the amount that we actually need to know. It's ridiculous in my opinion how sex is taught in schools and this book is an accurate depiction of many of the things that we should be taught about. There are things in this book that I, a 22 year old woman still didn't know. Like the fact that men can have orgasms without ejaculating, like what?! It was just a brilliant and interesting read and I enjoyed it thoroughly, I say this a lot but; everyone should read this book! 

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner ___________________________________________________________

As a little treat to myself for finishing Uni, I decided to have a gander on the Debenhams website and found this adorable little pack of the Kat Von D tattoo liner and the Two Faced Better than Sex Mascara which I haven't tried yet. It's honestly the best eyeliner I've used and it literally stays on all day. Although it's quite difficult to apply because it is just so thin, but once you've found the nack it's fine. I tend to put it on before curling my lashes and waiting for it to dry fully which doesn't take long at all, you can apply it thinly and do a subtle look or you can go for it and do full on Amy Winehouse style, it's great for both. I need to get a larger one of these ASAP once this teeny tiny one has ran out. 

Sam Angl ________________________________________________________________________

Sam is my new favourite Youtuber. He has taken over Sammy Paul's PMS series and I just love his style and cinematography. He's currently at Uni meaning that his content is so relatable to me and he's hilarious also his silky montages are amazing and now he's got a drone it's even better! He recently visited the Lake District in his April episode and although I live near The Lakes and have seen most of it many times; he managed to capture it like I'd never seen it before and that is some real film making talent, making something so familiar look so different and uncovering it's beauty. He's just really talented and his personality and humour is contagious and his videos calm me, what more could you ask for from a new vlogger?

Girl Boss_________________________________________________________________________

My housemate and I just finished this series this month and we loved it! It was very clever and a great representation of women and comedy. Sophia, the main character is flawed and pretty self centred and it's nice to see a character in a TV show that is not this ideal perfect woman that does everything right first time. The way it's filmed is unusual and there are some very experimental shots that work rather well and add a little more depth to it. I'm excited for season 2 and because it is based on a true story about Nasty Gal as a company, I'm interested to see if they refer to all the problems and strange decisions she made regarding the business. Ru Paul's in it as well so that's always a win win.  It also gives me a lot of inspiration to carry on with this online thing and see where it can take me!

A nice mixture of things this month. 

What's your favourite treasure?

                                                   

  

Treasure Hunt | April

I promise that this months treasure hunt is not sponsored by Superdrug in anyway whatsoever. They're just killing it with their cruelty free stuff at the moment! Here are the treasures I have collected in April:

Superdrug Extracts Sweet Almond & Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner __________________

There I was in my favourite place Superdrug looking for my fave Palmers shampoo and conditioner combo, when I came across these that were half the price. I was also attracted to the very unusual bottles and the nice aesthetically pleasing design and then I smelled them, oh my goodness! They smell so bloody nice, I love coconut haircare products but the sweet almond just adds an  extra bit of luxury to it, especially the conditioner. They also make your hair so incredibly soft and frizz free and that's all I need really, for my hair to smell nice and be frizz free. I'm known for my coconut smelling hair so I'm so glad that I've found new products that are cruelty free, affordable and take care of my hair, it's a win win!

 Punky Pin Designed by Mel Stringer_________________________________________________

Last month I entered a giveaway over on curlyandwordy and I only went and bloody won it! I was given a set of special edition Punky Pins designed by the amazing illustrator Mel Stringer and I am in love with all of them but especially this one that just simply says 'love your body'. It's a simple but powerful message and I wear it with pride on my new heavy duty denim jacket that really should be on this treasure hunt but I thought there would just be too much denim!

Lush Scrubee Shower Body Butter___________________________________________________

This was part of a gift from my mum when she got me a care package this month because I was very stressed and in the middle of writing my dissertation, isn't she bloody great?! First of all this isn't vegan, it contains a lot of honey and I wouldn't be using it if it wasn't a gift but my mum didn't know and it would be such a waste to not use it so ethically I am doing the right thing in this situation and I get to have super soft skin and write about a cool product so. This is a very unusual product, it's made to be used in the shower but it's oil based. The first time I used this I was very confused and used it before applying shower gel and then was completely waterproof for the rest of my shower. Because it's oil based once you apply it, it creates this layer on your skin that the water just sits on top of so I would recommend applying your shower wash etc., then shaving and then applying it last just as you're about to jump out. What I love this product for though is how soft it makes your skin feel, honestly I stepped out feeling like a goddess, especially after shaving. It contains ground almonds and some kind of seed and acts as a scrub but it's not really harsh and once you've washed it off you it just leaves this soft layer of skin that lasts for about 2 days and it smells heavenly. It's also shaped like a cute bee and you don't half get a lot of product for the size of it, mines pretty small now and its head has fallen off but it did last me all month and it's still going strong. 

Essence Camouflage Concealer ______________________________________________________

I've done it! I've found my go-to cruelty free concealer, it only took me 2 years! It was right under my nose as well because we have an Essence stall at work and I didn't even think because I always thought Essence wouldn't be cruelty free because it was so cheap, what a terrible judgement to put on a company. After some research I found out they weren't and purchased it and I absolutely love it. It's the perfect shade for me and such a great dupe for the Collection one that I have used since I was like 14, it has just the right amount of coverage and I have been wearing this and only this for most of this month because my freckles have come through and I want to show them off. This is such a great and affordable cruelty free product and I will be repurchasing it for the foreseeable future!

Superdrug Bath and Shower Soaks ___________________________________________________

A week after buying the shampoo I went back to my current favourite store and had another little browse and came across these beauties. I was on a budget toward the end of this month (because I spent too much money on vintage clothing dammit) and couldn't afford my weekly bubble bar from Lush. So when I saw these for BOGOF I snaffled them up, after smelling them of course. I love the scent of them, I thought because they were quite cheap they wouldn't have a strongish smell but I was wrong! The strawberry and avo one, which I thought was a very unusual scent in the first place; smells like the L'Oreal kids no tears shampoo and I felt such a massive surge of nostalgia when I smelled it and immediately decided to buy it, it's perfect for a morning bath because it is so fresh. The coconut and mango one is much more luxurious and perfect for night time bubble baths. Speaking of bubbles, this stuff doesn't half create a lot of bubbles and although you do have to use a lot of product they're cheap as chips so it's not like using a whole £5.00 bath bomb all in one go which breaks my heart and hurts my soul. 

Vintage 'mom' Jeans _______________________________________________________________

This month I went to a vintage kilo sale and bought a lot of stuff because I've stopped shopping in highstreet stores (more on that later). I came across these jeans and tried them on in the tiny cube changing rooms they had at the event, it was literally just a pole and a curtain it was terrifying! But I was so sick of not trying jeans on and then them not fitting properly, I used to have major changing room anxiety. Anyway I tried these jeans on and it's like they were made for me, the waist fitted perfectly, they have just enough bagginess to be 'mom' jeans and they cut off at the ankle just where I want them to. I also bought this big black chunky belt and I love the pairing of this with a cute lil' band tee or cropped jumper. I feel like Winona Ryder in Stranger Things or Lindsay Weir in Freaks & Geeks and I bloody love it!

My Dissertation___________________________________________________________________

Yep, my dissertation is a treasure in this treasure hunt because I worked so bloody hard on it. I poured my soul into this piece of writing and when it came to the time I had to send it away to be judged I shed many a tear because it is my baby, a product of my thoughts and in my opinion; an important philosophical and scientific discovery (not bigging it up at all). I don't know how people that write actual books are able to just send it into the world like that to be judged, it must be terrifying! My dissertation isn't just a piece of writing for me (here we go) it represents the fact that I can complete anything no matter how hard it gets. In the middle of writing my dissertation my life went a little bit to shit  and I still fucking did it and completed it. It represents my stubbornness although sometimes a hindrance it was a huge help in this situation and I think my determination and absolute passion for the project I created shone through. I'm just really fucking proud of myself, I wrote a 16,000 word piece of writing that perfectly reflects my psychology degree, what the hell I have a psychology degree!

Riverdale_________________________________________________________________________

Yep, it's a bit stupid and false but it was the perfect form of escapism for us this month. If you've had a shit day you just stick this program on and watch the beautiful faces and stupid plot wash over you.  My friends and I have started having 'Riverdale nights' seems as the episodes only come out EVERY TWO WEEKS, what's that about?! Also it's beautifully shot and the colour grading is gorgeous. It reminds me a lot of HTGAWM and I miss that a lot so it's nice to find something else with the same level of over dramatisation to the point it's humorous when it shouldn't be. Also Cole Sprouse, need I say more?

A very bath based month this month, I must have taken a lot of baths I guess. Crisis baths probably. What's your favourite treasure?