12 Things All English Students Will Understand...

I always find these kind of posts quite amusing and I enjoy writing them so I decided to do one about English (Literature and/or Language) students! If you're an English student, you will relate to pretty much all of these. You might even just be able to relate to them in general. 

1. Being asked on a regular basis: "So are you going to be a teacher then?"

2. "Oh, so you do English? What do you do then? Just read right? That must be so easy!"

You're kidding me right?

3. Not being able to enjoy movies the same way anymore.

I swear to God, I spend half my time analysing the film more than I actually just 'sit' there and watch it.

4. Being critical of film adaptations. 

The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter, The Hobbit... The list could go on. 

(I find it really hard to not compare the film once I've read the book)

5. Never being able to escape Sigmund Freud.
When Freud says psychoanalysis and chill...

Source: http://a2.files.biography.com/

6. You'll also find these type of jokes funny.
Anything literature related is well, funny...

Source: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/428967933228174720/

7. The seminar silence. The worst thing ever. Just to avoid eye contact you will flick through your books and pretend to be looking for something to say. 
I think every student has done this.

8. How reading just isn't fun anymore, you don't remember what it feels like to read for pleasure.

 9. Theory.

I don't need to say anymore.

10. You will learn to dislike, maybe even loathe any word that end in 'ism'.

11. People will question your degree. Just because you have eight hours contact time a week, does NOT mean that studying English is easy. 

12. At some point you will analyse yourself. 
It won't just be a little bit, you will analyse your whole existence.

I hope you enjoyed today's post! I enjoyed writing it (and it gave me lots of giggles finding the oedipus related memes) Thank you for reading as always! Let me know in the comments what you think of today's post! Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Bloglovin and Twitter for blog and life updates! Thanks again,

Max Factor Elixir Lipstick: Review!

I've wanted this lipstick for quite some time now, but this was when Christmas was getting closer so I decided to hold off until then and thanks to my lovely parents I got two of the Max Factor Elixir Lipsticks!I've been meaning to write about them for some time, but for a majority of Christmas and the first week and a bit of 2016 I had a coldsore so obviously I was unable to wear them. I've finally got around to writing about them so I'm super excited about this blog post today! I love the packaging of these lipsticks. I always mention the packaging in all my reviews because I find that what draws me to the product more is how they are packaged and presented to me and these definitely tick all the boxes! Does anyone else get a buzz over new lipstick? I swear to God I get like a mini adrenaline rush when I see how smooth, untouched and the perfection of the lipstick is. *drools*

The shades are: English Rose and Pink Brandy. Now, these are quite daring for me. I very rarely wear colour on my lips, I much prefer my nudes and subtle colours so this is a big leap, it makes a lovely change. At first I was really unsure about English Rose because it's so pink and in your face, but I've decided that come Spring and Summer these will be perfect to wear! 

They're quite shimmery, so again - a big leap for me. I'm the kind of person who likes something/one particular type of product and sticking to it. The swatches below were taken in natural light so you can see the colours for what they are so to speak. Pink Brandy is a lovely coral tone which I cannot wait to wear! As soon as the sun starts shining, I can tell that will turn into my go-to lipstick. English Rose is very pink. I was quite scared admittedly when I put it on, but I walked around the house wearing it, to the corner shop and back and I felt pretty good!

Pink Brandy on it's own and on my lips. It's super flattering. It's a coral shade as said before, but it has that little bit of a pink kick to it (if that makes any sense)

And again, English Rose on it's own and on my lips. Do you see what I mean about the brightness of the colour?

Both of these lipsticks are super pigmented and I found that a little went a long way, they're both quite creamy too if you can describe lipstick as creamy. What I mean by this is that they both came on really easily, good application and it felt quite nice on my lips, it was smooth - I think that's the word I've been looking for! Now I'm not sure where my parents got me these from because they were a Christmas gift, but I'm guessing that you can get them from any Boots and Superdrug that have a Max Factor section! I do honestly recommend these lipsticks, they have so many other shades too - I think a treat on one of their nude shades is definitely in order. Keep your eyes open for future pictures of me braving the elements with one of these shades! 

Have you ever used the elixir range? Did you like it? Would you want to try any? Let me know in the comments below what you think!

Now, I'm trying to 'up my Instagram game' so to speak, so if you could be the loveliest people in the world and follow me, it would be much appreciated: @xkatiemiddleton I'm also super close to 1,000 followers on Twitter (I can't believe it) so if you would be even lovelier and follow me on there: @katiexmiddleton I would absolutely love it! 

Thanks for reading today, I hope you've enjoyed the post! If you have any suggestions on what I can write about - from university to reviews, maybe even a tutorial if I feel brave enough - pop it in the comments below! Please check out my social networking, again it's much appreciated, drop by and say hey! Thanks for reading, I'll post again soon,

Daniella Draper: Bespoke Jewellery Review

Today's post is going to be slightly different, today I'm telling you about a local jewellery company back home called Daniella Draper. If you've never heard of it, then you soon will. Celebrities like Ed Sheeran have been seen sporting their jewellery. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of hours their team must put in to make their jewellery have that little bit extra. The jewellery is amazing quality, bespoke pieces, I could spend hours on their website. They've expanded out from their Cleethorpes store to Lincoln and Beverly - so you should definitely go check out their stores if you're  nearby,  or alternatively, you can check out their website here: Daniella Draper.

Cleethorpes is such a small seaside down, it's lovely to see a local business being as successful as Daniella Draper. Cleethorpes is that small, I'm also pretty sure I've served some of their team food at work back home when they've been at the workshop, but now I'm just on a tangent!

I've been eyeing up their website for some time, dropping many hints at Kayne in hope that he will get me of their personalised signature bangles and this Christmas I finally got one! Everyone knows I'm a sucker for jewellery too so you can imagine the excitement scale on Christmas day.

When I opened it, I genuinely cried. The bangle is so thoughtful and the fact that it is personalised made it that little bit more special. (I also got a mini chocolate with my bangle which was delicious)

Kayne got it personalised on the outer and inner bangle. The outside says: 'Be your own kind of beautiful'. Which is my favourite quote and means so much to me. Then on the inside it says : 'My one and only' which of course added to the tears. I think it's the first time Kayne has really put that much thought into a present that is jewellery based and it's so sweet of him to do. It's silver jewellery and amazing quality. I think this is by far the 'sturdiest' jewellery I've had. By sturdy, what I mean by this is that it's definitely the highest quality I've had.

From the pictures alone you can see how brilliant Daniella Draper jewellery is. I cannot fault it in any way, shape or form. It is on the pricier side, these signature bangles range from £105 to £150 for women. But I can honestly say, you will not be disappointed. They do other bracelets alongside necklaces, earrings, rings... you name it! I cannot recommend them enough. Daniella Draper brings something different to the table, if you can't afford their jewellery - pop them on your birthday & Christmas list. You won't be disappointed.

You can tell how much effort and pride the team have in their products, I've never heard anyone say a bad word about Daniella Draper and now I know why, it's flawless. Since I've worn my bangle too - I've had so many people asking me where I got it from and if they can get bangles like it. I've got really little wrists so I always worry about jewellery looking too 'clunky' or it being too big for me, but this fits wonderfully and it's super flattering! (like it was made to be) 

Have you got any jewellery by Daniella Draper? What do you have? Let me know in the comments below what you think! I've said it once but I honestly cannot recommend Daniella Draper enough and it is worth every single penny I can promise you that. Please check out their website - there's some beautiful pieces on there.

Thanks for reading this today, I really hope you've enjoyed it. It's something different to what I usually write about but I couldn't not write about Daniella Draper and support this local business who have achieved so much already. Stay tuned for more upcoming posts, got lots of exciting things planned! Thanks again for reading, 

2015 Favourites

So I'm a bit late on this blog post considering it's six days into 2016, but I'm cramming to get deadlines finished so whilst I have a quick breather I'm spending the next couple hours scheduling a tonne of posts. 

I thought it'd be nice to do a 2015 favourites, I wanted to make it very minimal and as small as possible but it's so difficult to do because 2015 for me has been amazing for discovering new products, rekindling my love for old forgotten ones and more. I wanted to do a favourites with books and clothes in too but then I realised how excessive that would be, I will however put at the bottom some of my favourite books this year. 

This by far is my most favourite quote of 2015, I have it absolutely everywhere and when I saw Paperchase were selling it on their little postcard stand I just had to get it. This quote just makes me feel so good about myself and positive. It says to me that it's cool to stand out and be different, you do you and bugger what everyone else thinks and as long as you're happy, then you are your own kind of beautiful. Ahh, I love it! Kayne for Christmas got me a Daniella Draper bangle with this quote engraved on it and then on the inside it said 'my one and only' (which obviously made me cry and there will be a blog post with the Daniella Draper bracelet because seriously, their jewellery is amazing.)

Now, it wouldn't be a 2015 favourite post if Snow Fairy didn't make the cut. I absolutely love this stuff and I'm gutted every time I run out! Thank god I got some large bottles for Christmas, it should keep me going for as long as possible! If you've never smelt Snow Fairy, seriously - where have you been?

Ahh, this foundation is a gift from God. This is hands down the BEST high street brand foundation I've ever used. It lasts me for ages, stays on my face literally all day, blends well, everything you could want in a foundation - you get it in this bottle. 

MAC Velvet Teddy is amazing. I absolutely adore it. It doesn't need anymore words, we all know how fabulous this lipstick is. 

I only got this a couple months back but I can honestly say, it is one of the best eyebrow palettes I've used yet. In my post reviewing this palette which you can read here I say that it's a good dupe for Benefit's Brownings, which I still hold to this day. It's super easy to apply, blendable and gives you amazing brows, so what more could you want?

I love, love, love this scent. This is my third Summer Scoop candle this year. I adore the fruity and food scents and this one is perfect for me.

I got this palette in September and not only is it just an eyeshadow palette, I also use it for highlighting and contouring. Again, this is mentioned on my MAC experience post which you can also read here. I thoroughly recommend this palette, it's perfect for daytime and night time wear with a lovely mixture of matte and 'sparkly' shades. 

The. Best. Mascara. Ever.

You can read my post reviewing Rollerlash Mascara by clicking this link.

Real Technique, where would we be without you? The reason why my eyeshadow goes so well. 

(Apologies for how dirty the brush is) Bit on the pricey side but I can promise you this, it is worth every single penny. If you're looking for a great brush that does everything it says on the packaging and more, this is the one you need. 

Now, as an English Literature student, naturally I do a ridiculous amount of reading. I've not really been able to read much for pleasure barring one or two books. But there has been some great books on the course that are definitely worth mentioning:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Did any of these make your 2015 favourites? Have you ever used/tried any of these products? Let me know below in the comments!

 I have so much lined up for 2016 and I can't wait to get started on them all. I'm going to make sure I stay on top of writing on here because I really hate neglecting my blog. Thank you for reading as always, I hope you've enjoyed the post. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin. I'm so close to a 1,000 followers on Twitter so it would be so amazing if I could hit that! Thank you as always,