I have had many phone cases over the years - spending so much time on my phone it's totally an everyday essential. I remember my very first one, on my Samsung Galaxy S2 being a 'Keep Calm and Carry On' case, remember when that was a thing?! But several years on, today I am obsessed with these phone cases from CaseApp*.

You can choose between personalised phone cases, using whatever photo, quote or colour you want, making it unique to you, or choose one of their cases from their huge library of funky designs. I decided to go for one of each because I seriously couldn't choose and really wanted the best of both worlds.


My first case is this black paintbrush strokes design, from their own design collection. Doing art at A Level myself I felt like it totally fitted (my friends did say it was very me), while I love how minimalist the design is too. They have so many different designs - floral, quotes, marble, or more minimalist prints like mine too.


I also got a personalised case which I designed myself! I went for a quote, from Coldplay's album 'A Head Full Of Dreams', my favourite album but also really something I feel like I can relate to right now so I really wanted it with me all the time. I also popped it on a pale pink background because it's personalised, so of course, it's going to be one of my favourite colours!

I was a tad disappointed when it arrived because the quote was printed wonky and uncentered - I spent ages making sure it was straight and centred so it's no surprise I was hoping for it to be perfect!


The phone cases themselves fit my phone perfectly - they are a little slippy but I think that's because I have got used to my old, rubbery feel case which is had a much more plastic feel. You can choose between matte or glossy finishes, I chose matte for both of mine because I figured they would be easier to photograph!


They arrived a week from when I ordered which I was really impressed with to say that they're printing your individual case. They arrived in the cutest little sleeve to keep them in which is really useful since I'll have somewhere to store the one I am not currently using!

You can use the code EVERYTHINGXERIN20 for 20% off all your phone cases from CaseApp until the 23rd December - perfect just in time for Christmas, as a personalised phone case for someone really special in your life sounds like such a wonderful gift.

Hello December, and the first festive themed post of the season! Since eyeshadow palettes are one of my favourite things, they are totally also my favourite thing to either gift or receive at Christmas. So, just in time for the season, I have compiled a list of my favourites on the market this year and who to buy them for - be it your best friend, a family member or even yourself!

For Luxury Lovers: Charlotte Tilbury's Stars In Your Eyes Palette

Treating a real special someone could not be made easier with Charlotte Tilbury's new palette. It's definitely on the pricey side, but you know with Tilbury products you're getting what you pay for. It literally couldn't be any easier to use either, with four set looks in the palette to use to create the perfect look for Christmas!

For Limited Edition Fanatics: MAC's Shiny Pretty Things Palettes

MAC's Christmas collections are iconic year after year, their Shiny Pretty Things collection being no exception. This year they have released two palettes for the range, a cool toned and a warm-toned, but once they're gone, they're gone - a real hype for anyone who loves having a limited edition makeup collection. My MAC Snowball palette from last year (featured below) is one of my favourites, so you seriously shouldn't miss this one.

 
For Those Who Love Purple Tones: Urban Decay's Naked Cherry

Urban Decay's latest palette could not be any more purple! Their Naked palettes are always a favourite of mine and I was excited to see the newest addition to their little eyeshadow family. If you, or whoever you're buying for, is obsessed with purple tones (I mean, they really are the rage right now), then this one is defo at the top at the list to buy for!

For The Glitter Obsessed: Anastasia Beverly Hills' Sultry Palette

The packaging of this one is literally rose gold glitter, what more could you want? ABH's eyeshadow formula is one of my all-time favourites and their new Sultry palette has some absolutely gorgeous glittery metallic shades, a couple of pops of colour and even some brown mattes making the palette super wearable too. I mean, it's even been recommended by Michelle Obama, so if it's good enough for a former First Lady, it's definitely one to get your hands on.


For The All Out Festive Fan: Too Faced's Gingerbread Palette

The one I have been dreaming of this season! I have actually never been overly wowed by Too Faced's palettes before but this Gingerbread palette has changed everything. It has some gorgeous neutrals paired with shimmery burgundy shades, even a gold keeping it right on season. It even smells of gingerbread - you can't get more festive than that! It may take a hunt to find it in stock though, it's currently sold out everywhere - clearly a favourite right now!

For The Matte Mad: Morphe 35O Matte Palette

Morphe have a huge range of palettes, but for someone who especially loves matte eyeshadows, this one is the ultimate essential. Full of 35 warm toned mattes, ranging from bright oranges to chocolate browns, there honestly isn't anything else you could need more.


For The Affordable Treat: Makeup RevolutionXSoph Extra Spice Palette

Perhaps for a stocking filler, or a makeup obsessed friend, look no further than Makeup Revolution and their grand array of palettes. My favourite of which being the Extra Spice palette, full of so many gorgeous warm tones and shimmers perfect for the festive season, without breaking the bank - and I'm not even kidding when I say the quality is worth far more than £10!

For The Smoky Eye Lover: Zoeva's All Night Palette

Zoeva's palettes are insanely good quality, and I love the great range of shadows in their latest palette release, created for making the most amazing Smoky eye looks, with even both cool and warm tones in there. They really have included everything you could need in a palette while being one of the best value for money palettes on the list too.

I always say during the summer months that summery clothing is the best, yet then I get to autumn and realise there's nothing better than a cosy jumper and a gorgeous woolly scarf, wearing lots and lots of burgundy. I've stocked up on a few items this season in my wardrobe which I had to share.

The Grey Coat:
AKA the coat of dreams - this season I decided I wanted a new smart coat and that the perfect colour for this would be charcoal grey. But the major problem with this was most shops didn't seem to sell one exactly like this, until I found this gorgeous coat from Warehouse. It's definitely a bit pricier than my usual New Look coat so I was very excited to receieve it for my birthday. It's honestly one of those coats that just fits you like a glove and because it's such good quality I know I will get a lot of wear out of it.


Burgundy Loafers:
I actually got these at the start of autumn but still really wanted to include them because they are so on trend right now. I have always wanted a pair of loafers but never found any that wouldn't just fly off my particularly narrow feet, but this pair from Dorothy Perkins have actually managed to stay on my foot for the full course of a day, while being incredbily comfortable. Although I reckon at some point I'll probably get a black pair of loafers, I love the burgundy (and they manage to match everything in my wardrobe anyway because when am I not wearing burgundy).

Miss Selfridge Top:
I stepped into Miss Selfridge the other day and could have easily bought about four tops in there, but I managed to resist temptation (very proud of that self-control) and just go for the one. I love wearing navy but don't really have any of the ribbed style tops like this in navy and also love how different it is because I am always going for stripes, so the wavy stripe makes it unique in my wardrobe.


Grey Scarf:
I literally wear a scarf all the time with my coat and hadn't bought one for three years (!!!) so I knew this year, I was buying one. I totally wanted a neutral one that would match with my new coat, but also any other coat, so a light grey was my initial idea. Thank you to Topshop for supporting my idea, and creating this very very cosy grey scarf, it's so soft and I absolutely love it.

Burgundy Corduroy Skirt:
Since burgundy and corduroy are two of my favourite things, I totally couldn't resist this skirt from Primark. Not only is it a complete bargain at £8, it's so comfortable and autumnal. I love wearing this with my loafers because they match so perfectly!

I haven't been posting one of these for every month this year, but November has been a pretty hectic, although exciting, month for me, and definitely one I want to be able to look back on. So today I thought I would sit down and reflect on the past month, what I've done and what I've been loving.

In November I have been....

Wearing all the darker lips

I did a post in late October about my favourite lip products for autumn, and ever since then I have been loving getting out the darker lipsticks and feeling incredibly autumnal. Two of my favourites of these are the ABH liquid lipstick in the shade Hudson, a gorgeous brown that seriously reminds me of freshly fallen leaves, and the Maybelline lipstick 'Erin', from their collection with Gigi Hadid last year. It still really excites me that their Erin shade is my all time favourite colour, a lovely burgundy that matches perfectly with my wardobe, and it's super long lasting too.


Celebrating my birthday

As you probably figured out once reading my '18 things I have learnt in 18 years' post, I turned eighteen this month which was really exciting. I never actually ended up posting a what I got for my birthday, simply because I just didn't get round to it, but I have been really enjoying the presents I receieved, including the Si perfume from Georgio Armani (I like to ask for a perfume for my birthday or Christmas each year and that was this year's choice), and an absolute surprise, the Tiffany bracelet which perfectly matches the necklace I got in New York in May.


Visiting Christmas Markets

I did actually manage to cover this one in a blog post - it was such a lovely day I really wanted something to look back on, but I have started getting into the festive mood by visiting Manchester's Christmas Markets around the time of my birthday. My local town also had their lights switch on the week after so it has actually been quite a festive time.

Receiving Uni Offers

I have now receieved four out of my five possible uni offers - one of my favourites of which I received on my birthday which was such an amazing surprise. I found out the other day I have been chosen to interview at Oxford which is incredibly exciting - in just over a weeks time now I will be there! It was something that really preoccupied my mind for a huge chunk of the month so, other than the excitement of finding out I'm going, it was a real relief to finally have that wondering off my mind.


Purchasing them Black Friday deals
I totally wish Black Friday was just that, black Friday, not an entire two weeks, but I was excited by some of the amazing deals on offer this year. Although something like 20% off Topshop is nothing to write home about (you can get this on student discount often enough), I've made a couple of orders from my favourite beauty brands who were doing amazing deals - you'll just have to wait until they arrive to find out what they are!!


Watching Strictly

I have really gotten into watching Strictly this year - long gone are the days when I was a die hard X Factor person, I can't even stand to watch that anymore and am a true Strictly convert. My fourteen year old self is incredibly excited to see Joe on the telly every week but I'm also rooting for Stacey to win - I'd love to hear who you're up for!

As part of my 'birthday weekend celebrations', I took a trip with my two best friends to Manchester to check out their Christmas markets. I had always wanted to visit some Christmas markets, and as Manchester is the easiest for me to get to, while everyone I ever talk to in college who's been seems to rave about them, I desperatey wanted to go this year.


It wasn't overly busy this weekend, as we went on the 11th November, the first official weekend of it being open - I imagine it gets a lot more packed as the festive season is properly upon us! I did feel like there was an absense of cake or any sweet desserts that I was hoping for - everywhere I turned just seemed to serve sausages or cheese, neither of which took my fancy!
Yet it was so fun to start off the festive season with a trip to the markets as it made me feel so Christmassy already. They are dotted all over the city, from right outside the Arndale, to Albert Square where I had lots of fun taking photos in front of the huge Santa on the town hall.


We also had a Pizza Express lunch, a classic birthday favourite of mine - or any time of year favourite, if I'm being honest - and I had to make a trip to Starbucks to try out their new Christmas range too! I tried out their Salted Caramel Brownie hot chocolate and muffin - it tasted so nice and weirdly festive! It was very sweet though so I can't imagine how anyone can drink more than a small! I was a little disappointed the Manchester Starbucks didn't have any of the reusuable red cups, but the stripy cup design they have gone for this year I really do love - I'm a huge fan of stripes, of course.

I've been feeling like writing up some study posts on my blog since it is a huge part of my life right now, so I felt like kicking it off with a Q&A, so you can get to know me, my subjects I study and my studying techniques a little better! I asked on Twitter and Instagram for some specific questions which I have answered along with some more general, frequently asked questions about what I study. I've also been totally a little inspired by Soph's recent post here which you must check out!

T H E  B A S I C S

What year are you currently in?

I'm currently in Year 13 at college, studying for my final year of A - Levels. 

What subjects did you do at GCSE?

I did the compulsory subjects at our school which were English Language, English Lit, Maths and RE. I also took all three sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Biology, then my option subjects of History, French and Art.

What are you taking for your A - Levels?

English Literature, Modern History, French and Fine Art. I actually took all my option subjects at GCSE again at A-Level which I always found a really interesting fact but now I'm typing it I don't so much...

L I F E  A T  S I X T H  F O R M  C O L L E G E

Did you stay at your high school for sixth form or move elsewhere?

My high school was pretty small so it didn't have its own sixth form, therefore I was forced to move elsewhere! I will always wish I could have stayed there, because my high school is 5 minutes away from me, compared to either of the local sixth forms, of which my journey time is about an hour. I found it really difficult adjusting to a different place.

How do you find taking 4 A-Levels, and why you do it?

I take 4 A-Levels because art is a hobby of mine, which I knew I wouldn't make time for without having deadlines and I wanted to learn how to better my skills too. I'm not particularly pressured about what grade I get in it as long as I enjoy doing it. Since I'm not used to doing 3 A-Levels, I don't find it overly difficult, I find it normal, but I can see how people would think it is a lot of work - it does take a lot of time-management!

How have you found each subject so far?

ENGLISH LITERATURE: English I found to be the smallest jump from GCSE to A-Level, I know I've seen a lot of different views across the internet, but since it happens to be the same exam board as GCSE, it totally feels like a continuation of the same, except a whole bunch of more books and critical views for each one. I don't mind it as a subject, I've never really settled into my classes either year but the books are alright, I really liked Streetcar in particular.

MODERN HISTORY: My one true love... I say that even though the coursework is the absolute bane of my life right now - endless reading feels a little overwhelming! There was definitely a jump in terms of both content, which is so much more in-depth, and the essay writing skills, which was something that took a while to get to grips with. Our papers are on the British Empire and the Cold War, weirdly I prefer Cold War but find Empire easier.

FRENCH: French has been such a rollercoaster of a subject. It began on such a high, this time last year I absolutely raved about how much I loved French, then I did the exchange, was traumatised, got into a funk that even though I have recovered from, I just don't have the love for it I once did. I actually prefer learning grammar as I like learning the tools to be able to speak and write French, rather than the topic work that I often find a bit dull - though I am looking forward to learning about France in WW2 very soon.

FINE ART: The workload might be heavy, but I truly do love art. I have a double art lesson on a Wednesday which might not seem the most appealing but it is the perfect chance for me to get loads of work done. Last year my subjects weren't the most interesting so it felt a little more of a chore, but this year I am back to doing portraiture and it is so much fun, I really do enjoy it - it's an extra subject for me so if I didn't like it, it wouldn't be worth carrying on!

How did you find the jump from GCSE to A-Level?

It really depended on the subject. English Lit for example, I don't find the jump horrendous at all because I felt comfortable in my essay writing technique since about the end of year 11, but due to learning almost no French at high school (how I got through that GCSE is a wonder), I definitely felt out of my depth there. History is a jump in terms of the depth of the content, and art is a jump in terms of the workload - it went from producing four pages of work every month (or even less) to every week, which sounds a lot but was easily settled into.

R E V I S I O N

Do you listen to music when studying?

My honest answer is yes and no! I love listening to music when studying but sometimes feel a little distracted by it so I won't. Having a record player has been so helpful for this because I much prefer listening to music out loud rather than in my earphones when studying, it's so less distracting, while my record player is at the other side of the room so I can't mess around changing tracks like I would with music on my phone. I also love to have a couple of albums that help me to really get into the studying zone - my go-tos are Coldplay's A Rush Of Blood To The Head and Ed Sheeran's +.

What is your favourite A-Level to revise?

History, absolutely! It was by far my favourite to revise for GCSE - it didn't feel like a chore at all, and I find it easiest to revise because there's a lot of set facts, whereas English can feel a little overwhelming with an endless amount of themes, and French has unlimited vocab!

When you revise, do you stick to a timetable strictly or do you revise whatever you are in the mood for?

I have actually created a timetable for myself this year, dictating which topic I will revise each half term for English and History, and what I plan to do each day of the week for French. I'm hoping I will be motivated to stick to it! I find a timetable so useful because you can actually visualise how much work you have to do, making it much less overwhelming.

U N I  P L A N N I N G

What are you planning on studying at Uni, and where have you applied for?

I am planning on studying History at A-Level! The five unis I have applied to are Oxford, Warwick, Nottingham, UCL and York. Only time will tell as to which I will go to - I know which ones my favourites are, but I specifically wrote my list there in no order so you can't guess!

Turning 18 recently, on the 6th November 2018, apparently meant I am now an 'adult', therefore seemed the perfect time to reflect on what I have learnt so far. I have seen a few things like this floating around the blogosphere before, but I was actually inspired by a YouTube video by Fabulous Hannah a couple of years back, when I decided I would do that when I became eighteen, and the time has come!


4. A good cry is sometimes necessary – you should never have to apologise for your tears. I like to live by ‘have a good cry, then never cry about that again’. Let it all out, then never look back.