Hello my lovelies! I hope you're well and are excited for New Years Eve! I can't believe this year is almost over. It has been the year that's had the most challenging moments for me and some of the greatest memories of all. Which makes 2016 all the more exciting as a lot of those great memories from this year are going to be continuing through to next year.
If you guys remember, I did a post like this last year when I was counting down for 2015. Just like that one this one is going to be filled of my favourite things from this year ranging from music, to beauty, to random things that this year has brought to my life.
So let's get started with my favourites...
Favourite Artist of The Year
Goes to Jess Glynne! I've been obsessed with her this year. I think she's definitely a break through artist of 2015, her voice is amazing, her look is amazing, and she is definitely a true British talent. I love her and can't wait to see what 2016 brings out of her music career.
Favourite YouTuber of The Year
I love Zoe anyway, or Zoella as most people know her as, but this year I feel as if she's worked so hard on her YouTube channel as well as all the other things she has done over this year - her books and her beauty range. I wasn't completely sure who I was going to pick for a while, but after watching her Vlogmas and her 24 Days of Zoella it had to be Zoe as I've virtually watched every video this year because they've been so brilliant. Congrats Zoe! Can't wait to see what next year brings for Zoe's channels, books, and beauty range.
Favourite Film of The Year
I've enjoyed a lot of movies this year but without a doubt my favourite this year has been Inside Out. If you haven't seen it, where have you been?! Disney Pixar never fail to make such memorable movies. I fell in love with this film the minute I watched it, I loved the concept and the thought of the voices in your head controlling how you think and feel in certain situations. It's a great movie to relate to if you've ever felt lonely or depressed, therefore it's not just for kids. That concept is there but is glazed over with all the comedy involved and the story line. I love it and it's officially my favourite film now.
Favourite TV Show of The Year
We all know I'll always love The Vampire Diaries, but if that was always my favourite show I'd be being a little bit biased. But this year I've been raving about Tattoo Fixers so much. If you've never seen it, it is a UK based TV show where the best tattooists in the country fix the UK's most shocking and crap tattoos to something that you'd rather show off in public. I love it because it's one of the shows that is really easy to watch, it's nothing too serious, and Jay, Sketch, Lou, and now Alice are some of the best tattooist I've ever seen. Their work is incredible and I can't believe some of the things they can do. With the help of Paisley they help people in the UK from tattoo fails to beautiful works of art. Series 2 is currently on now, so if you've not seen it. Check it out on E4 at 9pm - Tuesday.
Favourite Fashion Item of The Year
This year I have two, *gasp*. This year I've mostly been wearing cosy socks all the time or slipper socks which is why they're a fashion favourite. They're just really easy to wear and go with every autumn/winter outfit really. Then to go hand in hand with that it's the jumpers. We all know my love for jumpers is pretty major anyway but this year I've felt it so much more. Even during spring and summer I just couldn't wait for autumn/winter so I could wear all my favourite jumpers, jeans, and boots.
Favourite Perfume of The Year
If I am being honest, I haven't worn perfume a lot this year. Even my favourite one I haven't worn that much. But I got this for my birthday I think and I really do love the smell. It's not too heavy, can wear it any time of the year, and it was the main perfume I really wanted earlier this year. I did wear it quite often when I first got it therefore it was my favourite.
Favourite Bathbomb of The Year
Here's a new addition to the end of the year countdown! I've used so many bath bombs this year that I decided to do my favourite of the year and it's gotta be Fizzbanger. It takes a lot for me to call a bathbomb "my favourite" but honestly, this is my new all time favourite bathbomb I've used. It smelt amazing when I first used it because it was all citrus and uplifting and warming aroma of smells. It made me feel happy and it benefited my skin. What more could you want? It's also one of the only bathbombs I've given a 5/5 star rating therefore, the signs point to favourite.
Beauty Favourite of The Year
It's got to be these two this year - I can't choose between them. So starting with Kate's Nude Collection Lipsticks in Rimmel London. I love these so much, I've got 2 but I want the whole collection. It's the only nude lipsticks that have looked good on my skin tone and are actually good quality lipsticks - you don't look like you've got concealer lips! If you guys have noticed on my Instagram and stuff in normal selfies, they're the only lipsticks I wear in my daily routine when I'm not doing a specific eye look. They're the best, I love them.
Secondly it goes to Makeup Revolutions Fixing Spray. This stuff is amazing, it makes my makeup last all day. I put it on after I've done my foundation and concealer just to set all that down. Then I spray it again once I've done my powder, blushers, and highlighter etc. I think it could be up there with some of the high end setting sprays because it does exactly the same job as they do for a much cheaper price (£5.00 - go and buy yourself one!). I dunno what I'd do without it now.
Random Favourite of The Year
So many random favourite of the year goes to my butterfly filofax! I got this for uni and just to help me sort my life out and it's such a good way to make you want to do things and actually planning days you need them done by is better than waking up and being like, I'll just do it tomorrow. I'm still learning and trying to get better at using it as for these three weeks off I took a break and haven't planned as I don't really need to because I'm not at uni and don't have to do everything for myself. But when I go back I'll need to plan as I've been out of doing things for myself for three weeks.
But I think what makes me go back and wanting to use it because I'm creative, therefore I like things to look visually appealing and the cover of this does to me which makes me want to browse through it and add even more to it. I love using it and if you're having trouble managing your time at uni or just in general get yourself a planner.
My Favourite Nails of The Year
My favourite nails of the year go to the sided half moons! These are my nails that I painted and I was really proud of this design. I don't do nail art as much as used to because it's just something I've moved on from, but when I do it now I make it more age appropriate and to fit who I am now. This design and this specific one I did are definitely my favourites. Glitter polishes are my favourite and the way this one in particular was textured glitter that ran into a matte brown, ugh, I just loved it! Next year I really am going to try and make more nail tutorials on my blog.
So everyone, we viewed over my favourites from the year and it has come to that time again where we countdown my top 10 favourite makeup looks I've done this year. It turns out, that I havent actually done that many this year, apologies. So some of them are from tutorials and other's are from my Instagram.
10. Christmas: Gold Glitter Liner and Red Lips
Number 10 goes to the look I posted most recently on my blog which is my Christmas makeup, I liked it last year when I created it for the first time and I still like it now.
9. Valentines Day: Sexy and Seductive
We're going back a few months now (and you can tell because look how dark my hair is) but at number 9 we've got the look I created on Valentines Day. I loved this, it was something so different to create and I'd still wear it to this day whether it was Valentines Day or not.
8. Berry-Licious
Here is another Instagram makeup look for you. I created this for a party during late August and I loved the cranberry and brown blended eyes with the pinky coloured lips. It really made my blue eyes pop and suited my skin tone.
7. Neutral and Brown
This is another one from my Instagram when I was addicted to my brown lipstick (I still am btw) but I felt gorgeous and autumnal during the last few months so how could I not include this one?
6. Halloween: Blood Loss Vampire
I never did a tutorial for this as I did a vampire tutorial on Halloween last year, but I loved the look I ended up creating. I sort of just winged it and this is what I came up with. I thought it looked really different to your classic vampire tutorial and I wish I did a tutorial for you guys on it.
5. Tangerine Dreams
Favourite tutorial of the spring time and at number 5 goes to my Tangerine Dreams tutorial. I loved this makeup so much, I loved how soft the colour was but still enough to stand out and it made my blue eyes really pop. I think I did this around March or April but it makes it seem like longer because of how dark my hair was and how thin my eyebrows were! I will definitely do this makeup again next spring.
4. Purple and Vampy
Just missing a medal is this gorgeous purple number that I did quite a long time ago now. It was some time in the summer that I made this (ironically). But I loved it, purple looks really good on my skin and suit me especially when they're darker shades of purple due to my cool tone skin. But because I have pink undertones I can also wear warmer eye looks which still compliment my eyes and skin.
3. Classic Smoky Brown
This look is actually a super recent look that I did yesterday and it's bagged itself a bronze medal coming in at number 3! I used my new Urban Decay Smoky Pallet which is what I'm using tonight for New Years Eve. But I created this matte brown smoky eye with elements of burgundy and purple in with a light coloured lid. I loved this look paired with purple lips. I felt gorgeous wearing this yesterday and super in my element with my dark eye makeup. I love it!
2. Everyday
Surprisingly taking second place with the silver medal is my everyday makeup look. I think for me this has climbed it's way to the top, not just because I always wear it when I don't do makeup tutorials, but because I feel genuinely girly, beautiful, and fresh when wearing it. I've worn this everyday since September roughly as my everyday makeup and I believe that I have found 'classic makeup peace' aka, happy with what I look like being more natural with my makeup.
1. Mermaid
Right guys, taking the top spot and taking the gold medal is this mermaid inspired makeup! This has been my number 1 makeup of the year ever since I'd done it because over the summer this year mermaid inspired makeup was a big deal and I feel that this was the best look I did all year. The way the colours all blended together and the way they highlighted my eyes was gorgeous. Which meant it was going to be hard for anything to top it after I'd done it. I love it.
My Top Moments of 2015
We're getting closer to the end of 2015 to all begin our new journey in 2016. But this year for me has probably been one of the best years of my life because it has had so many good memories, challenges, achievements, laughs, tears, and moments I will never forget.
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| My 18th Birthday. |
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| The final college show with my incredible friends - "Welcome To Crestwood Moore" will always be my favourite show we ever did and of course all the other incredible college memories we have together. |
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| Being apart of another YOBOS production and getting the chance to do Grease: The Musical. |
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| Getting to be in "The Raining on Prom Night" Quintet with the best girlies ever. |
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| Remaining best friends with my girl Chloe for the past 12 years (almost 13). The amount of memories we have together is quite insane. I dunno what I would do without her. |
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| 2 years have passed with my darling Heather and I don't know what my life would be like without her. We are so different but she is my bestie and my theatrical partner in crime. I can't ever imagine my life without her. |
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| Going the Drama Society at Uni to perform their modern version of The Nativity based on Chester. And of course for me, getting to play Queen 1 during the show. |
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| Lastly, it'd be coming home for Christmas and being with my family and my friends. Genuinely feel so loved and happy. |
There's obviously so many more pictures and more memories than this above but I thought I'd include those and then list a few more.
- Being able to climb a ladder, carry a light up, and rig that light for my devised assessment.
- Going to see Mamma Mia and a Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time with Heather because she gets me. We both love the theatre and get so into what we do and what we watch that we create ideas and theories of things. And to have a friend to talk to and create things like that with is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
- One of the biggest achievements of 2015 for me was one - getting Triple Distinction as my final grade from doing Performing Arts at college because I worked so hard to get that grade and for once I finally got something I deserved. What my college teachers said to me at the end of was "... you get theatre which is what makes you love performing it, creating it, and directing it. It would be a shame for you not to go onto teaching at some point Katie because you are so talented at what you do" this will stick with me as I go through this career path as I am a very open person and I'm up for trying and experimenting with new things.
- The second biggest achievement for me was going to uni because this time 2 years ago, I always said I wanted to go to drama school and that uni wouldn't really be for me for what I want to do. It's amazing what a year or two can change because even though I do still want to be a performer on stage, on film, on TV shows etc. There are other options I want to do in my life, e.g. start a theatre company and maybe be a theatre teacher at some point. I'm not 100% sure what will happen yet, but I've got three years of amazing education at university to figure it out whilst getting to do everything I love doing along side. Which is why I genuinely love my life and love what I do in my life.
Along with the choice of uni, it's crazy how much picking Chester University in particular was completely right for me. Everything I am learning is relatable to what I want to learn or what I want to do. I think it's crazy how your heart goes to a certain place and you don't really know why which is what happened for me when I wanted to go to Chester. After I'd gone for the audition I felt really at home and was excited to know I'd got in because I think I already knew that was the place for me without knowing at that point in my life. Now, I wouldn't change a thing.
- I've met some of the most amazing people whilst going to uni who are now going to be my friends for life. I can't wait to spend the next three years of my life with them and all of the friendships and memories that there will be is an exciting thought as we go through our future together.
- Something else that has been a really precious moment to me was when I got the opportunity to play Queen 1 in the Drama Society's Christmas show. I've played main roles before before but they've never been like the lead role of a show. I've always wondered why I never get chosen for the big lead roles and I finally realised it's because what I am good at is playing the outgoing and crazy roles whether those characters are a bit insane or a bit bitchy and sassy which is exactly how Queen 1 was. It doesn't matter because I'm best at playing those people because they are fun to play. Which is why now, I don't worry about not getting the big lead role in shows as one day, it will happen to me, but maybe right now just isn't the day and that is okay.
- One of the biggest and greatest things that happened this year for me relates to something only that could be changed by me. I've never spoke about this on here and I'm not going to go into too much detail as it was a long time ago. But back in school in year 10 I was bullied by my so called best friends which really affected my life as I became depressed. But I knew I deserved better so I did something about it and told them to basically get out of my life. When they did I already felt happy and felt like I got a lot of my shoulders which I did. But the damage that had been done I had to just rebuild all my confidence and my happiness etc.
One thing that helped this massively was going to college as 16 - 18 is two of the biggest years of your life because you go from being immature and worried about stupid things to moulding into the beginning of the person you aspire to be and who you want to be. By going to college I met people who I genuinely call my friends and experienced real feelings and real happiness for the first time that meant a lot to me because of how I always tried so hard to fit in. But by letting fate do it's job it worked because without that I would never of met and become best friends with Heather and for that. I am so grateful as she is one of the main people who brought happiness into my life from then onwards. College was the best thing for me because I got to do things I wanted to do and throw my confidence in performing around like confetti which eventually threw itself into my actual life.
So basically what I'm trying to say is 2015 is a big highlight year for me because it is the year where I actually feel happy with who I am, I love what I do, I am confident with being me which is something I never ever felt during school. I feel beautiful, I feel talented, I feel wanted by all the people around me which is probably the greatest thing 2015 brought my way. I can't imagine me and my life any other way. I feel so strong now which is the woman I have always wanted to be. I can't wait to see what 2016 throws my way.
Goals for 2016
I'm not calling them resolutions because they're not really, they're just things I know that I really (seriously I meant it) want to improve on this year.
- Make time for uni, friends, myself, and my blog.
This one above is what I've struggled the most with over the two months of being at uni because it's all been so overwhelming but I feel this three week break has helped me take a breather and I'm ready to go back to uni and work hard as well as having a good time and making memories.
- Pass the first year of uni.
I'd say that's quite an obvious one as I'm absolutely loving every minute of uni and I wouldn't want to do anything that would ruin that as I love what I'm doing so much that I can't afford to not carry it on.
- Be healthier
I'm not talking anything drastic - just eat more fruit and veg, drink more water etc. Maybe do a bit more exercise here and there.
- Finally getting a main role in Rock of Ages and Legally Blonde.
It's so exciting to be involved in two big musicals this year that I can't not go for a main role in each of them! Fingers crossed for me!
Thank you guys so much for reading this and for supporting me all the way through this year. Every view, every comment, every like is so lovely. I hope you continue to support me through 2016 on blogger and in my general life.
I shall see you all back here during 2016 and I guess the last thing to say is
Katie
xoxoxoxox
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