Just shy of two years ago now, I decided on taking A Level Art. I was umming and aahing about it for ages - I had committed to the idea of doing three subjects; History, French and English Lit, but I kept telling myself I would regret it if I didn't take Art. So here I am, two years later, having just finished my coursework in my fourth A Level, Fine Art.

Why did I take it? Art has always been a hobby for me, and it was one I wanted to get better at. I honestly think I wouldn't have found time to continue with it if I didn't have to do it as an A Level, and therefore taking it has allowed me to spend time at it while improving. And I have improved a lot, let me tell you!


Today I thought I would share some of my pages in my art sketchbook with you will also compiling tips for the subject, some of which I reckon could be applied to art as a hobby too. I will be circling back round this post in a couple of days when I find out how I've done in my coursework too to let you know how well I did in it - that is if I did well, haha!

Choose a subject that you know you'll enjoy
As much as it's great to take risks in art, something to play a little safe with is your subject choice. Don't choose something you will end up bored of after a matter of weeks because it will become so much harder for you. In year 12 I did fruit for a whole eighteen weeks and the work felt like such a chore, thank goodness the work from last year didn't go towards our final grade because I really didn't have my heart in it! But this year I chose portraiture, and my Wednesday afternoons I have a double art lesson in don't feel like a chore at all, but something I really look forward to.


Don't judge a piece until it's finished
Okay seriously, the amount of times I have panicked about a piece not going the way I intended, to end up being fairly happy with it by the time it is finished is endless. Sometimes it is a battle that I feel like I am never going to win, until suddenly it actually looks decent. This is good! This is supposed to happen! Would you judge an essay that you've only written a paragraph in? Give it time and everything will work out. Saying that...


Don't expect every piece of work to be your best
It's okay if every piece of work isn't of the highest grade possible, or as good as you want it to be. Some pieces, such as a different scale, different medium or different image just won't work for you, and that's actually sometimes a good thing because while developing your ideas you can say why it wasn't for you.

Give media outside of your comfort zone a chance
One medium I know is not for me is printing, it never has been and never will be the medium I ever develop, or spend more than a couple of weeks ago. But this year I tried it out a bit more and actually created some printing pieces I totally didn't hate. Oil painting was a medium this year I had never used before, was totally terrified to and then fell in love with it. I could have decided it was a bit too difficult and given up, but I persevered and I am so glad I did.


Explore different scales and textures
Working on an A3 canvas was a huge breakthrough for me - I had never really used canvas before but, especially when using oil paint, it made such a difference and made my application a lot easier. I also experimented with smaller scale, creating an A4 portrait (on the right page above) which surprisingly I found it a lot harder to get detail. I even did an A1 ink piece at the start of the project which was a lot, let me tell you! Eventually I worked out A3 was best for me but it totally will differ for anyone. Don't feel confined to your sketchbook size - I photocopied my larger work (such as the left page above, an A3 board photocopied) to showcase it in my sketchbook too.

Get inspired by artists
Pinterest is full of amazing ideas to get inspired by, and artist research is super important to show where your ideas came from. This is especially useful if you're using a medium unfamiliar to you, such as when I started oil painting and found some artists that approached it very similar to I did. 


I took art at a level because I genuinely have a love for the subject. For the first time in a long time, this June it will finally become simply a hobby again rather than a school subject, which I am kind of looking forward to because I won't have to paint from my own photos anymore! (Roll on the drawings of Harry Styles again).


Yes, the subject is time-consuming, but it doesn't feel like a drag when you really enjoy it, and would probably only recommend you take it if you know you won't treat the work as a chore. However, due to the amount of revision I have for my other subjects, I don't think the amount of time I spend doing art is any more than them right now! Compared to GCSE, I actually think art at A Level is a lot less time consuming, because although you have a lot more to complete (4 sketchbook pages a week rather than a month), you also have a lot more class time. Personally I am really glad that I took it, as the access I have had to different sorts of media - ink, oil paint, etc has made my skills improve so much.

One of my favourite makeup brands is undoubtedly Too Faced. Their gorgeous packaging and incredibly high-quality products rival everything else right now and I just had to share a few of my favourite products of theirs with you.

Melted Matte Liquid Lipsticks -

The product that began the obsession. I bought my first a while back now, the perfect nude shade Child Star. It really has become my perfect lipstick, firstly due to its shade - not too cool, not too warm which means it can match with any eye look or outfit whatsoever, the fact it lasts all day (I'm not even exaggerating), and is super easy to apply. It really is my go to, that lipstick you reach for when you don't know what to reach for, and has become my all-time favourite lipstick - which says a lot!


I ended up getting a second shade, since I loved Child Star so much, and chose the shade Sell Out. It's quite a lot pinker than I would usually go for but it is really flattering and I love it for times when I want a little more colour. I feel like the hype for liquid lipsticks has decreased nowadays and I am not the hugest fan of them, but Too Faced (along with ABH) is a brand I would highly recommend for liquid lipsticks. I also find quite often that liquid lipsticks appear in the tube like a light nude but then end up so much darker but the Melted Mattes are really true to colour.

Chocolate Bronzer -

Another Too Faced obsession of mine is their Chocolate Bronzer. I mean firstly I love the scent and packaging of the product, but what you really want to know is how it applies right? The answer is - like a dream. You don't need a lot on your brush because of its intense pigmentation unlike most bronzers, meaning you get even more out of the product; I certainly won't be hitting pan on this one as quick as my drugstore bronzers! It's the perfect, not too orange and not too dark shade that means it is perfect for all year round use.

Gingerbread Palette -

The first eyeshadow palette I have ever tried from Too Faced, I am most definitely a convert! I was so excited to receive this at Christmas, I honestly didn't expect it since it was sold out everywhere! But I could instantly smell its sweet scent while I was unwrapping it, very excitedly! I feel like Too Faced's gorgeously scented products are an absolute trademark of their brand. Although this one was limited and sold out, as I mentioned, it definitely sets precedent for all other Too Faced eyeshadow palettes which I bet are just as fab!


They blend incredibly and this one has some gorgeous shimmers and mattes, I particularly love Gumdrop and Figgy Pudding, pink and purple mattes respectively, and so many of the pretty shimmer shades in it.

Apart from the everyday watch, that you will never see me without, or the occasional bracelet, I was never really a huge jewellery wearer until the past year, when I have begun to love curating a collection of some of my favourite pieces. Rose gold has to be my favourite of the three metals so today I am sharing my favourite rose gold accessories in my collection.

WATCHES:

As I mentioned, you will never see me without a watch; even though we're all able to quickly check your phone nowadays, I've just always loved having a watch handy. I have two rose gold favourites, the first of which is my everyday essential, the Olivia Burton watch. There are so many different styles of their watches, right now I have the classic black leather strap with a midi rose gold face and I absolutely love it. It is looking a bit worn by now, so I do plan to get another one next year, but I have worn it every day for over a year now, and it has had the fair bit of paint accidentally splodged all over it in its time!


My other watch favourite has to be my Michael Kors watch. Although this became an everyday watch when I got it a few years ago, it has become a more occasional piece now, since I realised when I started wearing my light leather Olivia Burton watch how heavy this one feels! It has a gorgeous large face with a bunch of dials... I don't really know what most of them do but it does display the date which is super useful! I don't know how I used to wear this all day because nowadays my arm gets tired after a few hours but I love wearing it when going out-out.

BRACELET:

I have two Thomas Sabo bracelets - a silver charm bracelet, and this lovely understated rose gold bracelet. I love how dainty it is, which is handy as I am often pairing it along with a watch. It's super pretty and an item I can't believe I have had for over two years ago since I got it for my sixteenth! It's one of my favourite accessories for adding a little something extra to my look.

NECKLACES:

It's so weird how I never wore necklaces until a few months ago when I got my Tiffany necklace, and now I feel strange not wearing one! The collection has grown quite rapidly since then, a recent addition of which comes from The Happiness Boutique. I have always been in love with all things star-related so choosing their Star Delicate Necklace* felt very on theme! I love how it has several pendants making it a little different and the shorter chain means I can wear it with higher necked items.


It has definitely become a staple to my rose gold jewellery collection, and you can get 10% off all Happiness Boutique products over £19 with the code 'everythingerinx' from now until February 23rd - how exciting is that!


The rose gold Kate Spade pendant necklace is another favourite of mine right now. I received this for Christmas and have been obsessed with it ever since. The pendant itself has an engraved E, and says on the back 'one in a million' which is a gorgeous touch. I am obsessed with Kate Spade products and my necklace is no exception. It's so versatile that it can match with anything and it has so many links that it can be worn at a variety of lengths.

MAKEUP TO MATCH:

Of course, I would be obsessed with any makeup or beauty item with a rose gold touch - what do you expect! If you feel like making your lipstick match your accessories, look no further than Charlotte Tilbury's packaging; I may have wanted one for a really long time just for the packaging, so it is an added bonus that the lipstick itself is fab too (I have the shade Very Victoria, but there is a huge range for whatever you fancy).


However, if you really want to go all out rose gold on your face to match your accessories, rose gold eyeshadow is a huge deal right now - my favourite of which to go all out with is the Stila glitter liquid eyeshadow in the shade 'Rose Gold Retro'. The shade name already suggests how fabulous it is - rose gold glitter lids to match my jewellery is a yes from me!

A little over a week ago I found out I hadn't got into Oxford. It really has been a week of a whirlwind of emotions, at the start of which I originally decided not to write a post on the subject, but after reading some fab posts of people going through the same as me, and realising that I always find it so helpful to write (or in my case, type), out my emotions and thoughts so that everything makes sense, I ended up being sat here writing one now.

Applying to study History at Oxford became one of the biggest parts of my life the past at least six months or so, and as a result of that, it felt relieving that the process was all over, but, although I am glad that I've gone through it all to know what the result would be, it also felt really anti-climatic. But I tweeted not long after I found out that I wasn't as sad as I expected, and it was true at the time. For the first few hours after finding out, I didn't think at all about what I had lost by not getting into Oxford. I concentrated on my back-up, UCL, and what I was gaining by now being able to study there.

Of course, it all dawned on me eventually, but what I have realised is that more so than not getting to study at Oxford (a place that I totally loved), what upset me more was getting the 'no' itself. Knowing that I was more than willing to put the work in, and it was just how the interview went - and not even that, loads of politcal jargon that determine who gets in or not - was what it all boiled down to. I really wanted to have something to say 'see, I can do it', to show that I can succeed. But I learnt that Oxbridge does not define success. It was a dream, true, but definitely not the 'be all and end all'.



As it happens, I had another dream, another life that I really was torn between. Even a couple of days before I found out, I wrote down in my 'uni planning journal' that I actually wasn't sure what I wanted the result to be. Even if I had got into Oxford, it would have been a bittersweet experience, because I still would have been letting go to another dream. Studying at Oxford for three years was one dream, but another was studying at UCL, living in London, getting work experience in the field I really want to go into and getting my foot in the door of a career of my dreams.

As I told myself in the art lesson following finding out, I was now going to UCL, with so many amazing aspects going for it - my favourite history course, the fact it was the first ever English university to accept women, it was the university that Coldplay attended and were formed at (this totally wasn't a reason for me looking at it or anything...), and as I mentioned above, the fact I am going to be able to gain experience in the industry I want to work in being in London which is amazing. I am also super excited to live in London and explore the city; being from up north I don't visit very often right now!

I am really glad that I went through the whole Oxbridge process, not just for the fact that I will never live my life with a huge 'what if' clouding over it. Reading more history books and getting more enthusiastic for my subject that I wouldn't have otherwise, going through the interview process, which was one of the best weeks of my life, including meeting Eleanor and having a much needed mini-holiday from college and the drama that comes with it.

But everything does happen for a reason - I am a firm believer of that. Having come out of the initial disappointment, I am taking it positively. For so many months I have never been able to see past my A-Levels, never known where I am going next, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel which has really motivated to work to my absolute best on these exams. UCL may have the same entry requirements as Oxford, but now I can see where I am heading I am even more motivated than ever to get these three As.

The sale after Christmas is my favourite time to go and shop in Lush - I mean, who can say no to half price bath bombs?! I went into my local Lush on Boxing Day when the sale started - I saw so many criticisms of going shopping on Boxing Day over on Twitter but I just think you do you? Lush don't have a sale online, and fortunately, my local one isn't a million miles away so I was really excited to go this year and share with you what I got.

I got two singular bath bombs - two which happen to be my favourites so I am really glad they still had them in stock. The Magic Wand bubble bar is my all time favourite and I am now perfectly stocked up, as I got one for Christmas too! It lasts so long, I think I got about eight or nine uses out of my last one, with loads of bubbles and a very pink bath every time. Plus, it's so easy to use on the stick, I find that a lot easier than a bubble bar you crumble into the hot water!


I also love the Snow Fairy jelly bomb so I was excited to find it still there, it has the Snow Fairy scent so of course, a classic must have, but I love the jelly bomb formula because it feels so soft. Again it's also super pink, I seem to remember it having some blue iridescent glitter in it too which made it even prettier.


I also picked up a set on half price - often on the sale, these can work out better value but only if you want to use all the products! Fortunately, the Christmas Candy Box I chose comes with four products I really wanted to try, none of which they still had on their own either! Half price on this gift set worked out about £10, so £2.50 each for these products is such good value.


The set comes with a Luxury Lush Pud, one of Lush's most famous bath bombs, a real cult favourite. It's so colourful so I can't wait to use this one again (I got a set with it in on last year's sale). It also comes with another two bath products I have never tried - the Candy Cane bubble bar, which you may remember seeing in my Lush Christmas Wishlist so I am really excited I can now try! It looks so cute - it may not be the festive season anymore but I still love it. The final bath product it comes with is the Bubble Bear, which is obviously a lot less colourful than ones like the Lush Pud, but I think this will be a lovely bath.


The last item the set came with is a mini Snow Fairy shower gel. I couldn't find any Snow Fairy shower gel on sale so I am so glad this set comes with some! It's such a gorgeous scent, and the small size is so travel-friendly.

My Lush sale tips:

- Plan ahead: Lush's Christmas items disappear from their site by Christmas Eve, so I would recommend looking online a week or so before the sale to work out what you might fancy getting, and how much you might end up spending so you don't go too overboard while you're there!

- Sets are often better value: Especially when most of the products in the set are no longer available on their own! But make sure you are getting your money's worth, and you're not just buying a set for one item in it, you may as well just have gotten it full price before the sale in that case!


- Get there an hour or so after opening: I got to town a little after Lush opened and I was shocked to find a huge queue outside the door - nieve I know! I wandered around a few other shops for an hour and returned to be able to walk straight in. It may seem overwhelming but it will die down eventually, and you will still be able to get the same stuff as those who are first in!

- Be prepared to queue: My Lush had a queue for actually buying the product all the way around the store - it's a pretty small shop! I was saying it's important to plan what you want, and this is also because you need to be pretty speedy because most of the time you spend in the shop will be queueing!

- There's Still Items Left After Boxing Day: If you really aren't one to leave the house after Boxing Day, I totally get it - there's usually plenty of products left a couple of days later, especially in bigger stores! I visited the Leeds Lush on the 28th last year, and despite most of the individual products had gone, there was still lots of sets left and I bought enough to make my arm ache from carrying the bag around with me all day!

The beginning of a new year floods our social media with 'new year new me' inspired goals, and although I don't feel like particularly embracing a new me, there are a few areas I would like to focus on this year - maybe we can come back at the end of the decade (yep, we're really nearly at the end of these tenties or whatever we're supposed to call them) and see how many I achieved.

Only buy makeup if it's filling a gap in my collection: I have accumulated a lot of makeup over the past couple of years, and I do consider it a proper collection that I love adding to, but I really want to stop adding necessarily to it. I really want to work out what I need (definitely not another brown toned lipstick anyway), and curate a collection of products that I really use all of.

Make my blog more 'me': Although I am not entirely sure how I want to achieve this, something I know is that I really want to make my blog exactly how I want it to be this year, and use it exactly how I want too. I reread my 'hello 2018' post prior to writing this one, and there was a real focus on growing follower numbers and sticking to a blog schedule. I felt bombarded in 2018 by posts about 'how to triple your followers' or 'how to drive traffic to your blog' and began to realise that those things aren't why I started, nor why I want to continue.

Even looking back at posts I wrote from a few months ago, I realised the topics weren't something I would write now - I found myself thinking "When did I even write that?!". In 2019 I really want to focus on writing about topics that really interest me. This includes more fashion posts, at least half of what I read has to be fashion related and my love for it has grown in the past year, I just have to work out how this will work for me. A huge part of my life which I barely share on my blog is my love for art, maybe we will see a more creative side to Everything Erin in 2019, who knows!

Eventually I would love to give my blog a makeover and really think about what I am adding to the internet, but for now we won't be having a 'new year new blog' (thanks A levels), maybe think ' new June, new blog'...


Connect to bloggers more: Something that hasn't changed since last year is I still really want to comment on more blogs, and use social media productively. I find that I scroll endlessly throughout Twitter and Instagram without adding anything, and it's such a waste of time! When I use social media, I really want to start using meaningful comments and actually use that scrolling time to benefit others a bit more. I also want to meet more of my favourite bloggers, as I mentioned in my last post, meeting Eleanor in Oxford was amazing, and we can't forget about my fab friend Ellie - whose blog I read a long time before I actually met her and now we're in the same French class! I really want to make more blogging related memories this year.

Accept what is meant to be: In under a weeks time I will find out a decision that will probably determine the next three years of my life, or even more than that, in one way or another. One of my biggest goals for 2019 is to not shroud myself with 'what ifs' and focus on what is actually happening. Wherever I end up, it will be where is right for me, and I really need to remember that.


Stop procrastinating: It all goes back to that scrolling thing doesn't it... I really want to spend less unproductive time on my phone. I've become a little over obsessive with the new 'screen time' section of the iPhone, and have worked over the past few weeks to get my daily average down on my phone. Sometimes it's quite high, perhaps I've been taking blog photos or reading a book, so I can't possibly beat myself up for that, I basically just want to stop the scrolling. I could be spending that time so much better, and then I won't get as overwhelmed that I have a thousand and one tasks to complete!

Read more: But by that, I am happy enough if it doesn't mean reading more books. I have come to terms with the fact I don't have the attention span nowadays to get into a full fiction novel (I shocked a few people in my English last year when I commented I don't really read, nope, definitely not even Harry Potter...). Perhaps in the summer, I could read more books, but I am happy enough for them to be historical and something that I am particularly interested in. I love learning, so this year I would love to read more interesting articles, blog posts, even more magazines.

2018 has been one of the quickest and craziest years ever. There have definitely been highs and lows, but since I have completed a monthly review post for most months this year, I really wanted to sit back and type up some of my highlights from 2018 to round it all up, taking some of my favourite things I've done and loved, working my way through the year.

In 2018 I have...

Gone out of my comfort zone on the French Exchange

One of the biggest things I did right at the beginning of the year was taking part in my college French Exchange. It may have been a traumatic experience being there (all I'm saying is I still get flashbacks), but I made some amazing friends while I was there and I know I wouldn't be in the same place if I hadn't had taken the risk and gone on it.

Seen Harry Styles live

The best concert of this year, which has definitely become one of my favourites ever, was on the 9th April when I saw Harry Styles live. The way he brought an arena to life on his own was truly incredible, I absolutely adore him and his solo music and it was a real highlight of my year.

Been to New York (!!!!)

I still cannot believe this happened - and even more, cannot believe I managed to have a cold throughout my trip and therefore felt ill for most of the time! Every time I see a photo of New York nowadays I am dying to go back. It was the best holiday ever, we packed so much in - including walking 13 miles one day, I mean for someone who does absolutely no exercise to walk half a marathon worth in a 32 degrees day is pretty good right! Although I felt absolutely knackered, you totally had to walk that much to take it all in and the sights were so amazing.

Been really into The Crown

The Crown has to be one of my favourite series' I watched this year, it has really inspired me to learn a lot about the history of the current Royal Family and I have got so into it. After watching a show about the Royal Family, I decided to stay on theme and watch a show with a member of the Royal Family in it, therefore got totally obsessed with Suits! Yes, I may have just started watching it due to the Meghan Markle hype but I have enjoyed it so much. The other show I have really loved this year is Parks & Recreation, one of the funniest shows ever.

Visiting Universities

This summer has been one of applying for universities, therefore I had to visit several to make my mind up! This included a trip to London which I really enjoyed, especially seeing the musical 42nd Street while I was there which was simply amazing! I absolutely love London - who knows, I may have spent more time there by this time next year!

Listened to a lot of George Ezra, 5 Seconds Of Summer and The 1975

Music favourites this year can be summed up by the three artists above for certain! I got obsessed with George Ezra's Staying At Tamara's album, the song Pretty Shining People has become a firm favourite of mine. On Spotify, 5SOS was one of my most listened to artists which I am not surprised at, their YoungBlood album has been on repeat this year.

My Last Fm stats make The 1975 my most listened to artist by a mile; I'm totally obsessed with their new music, such as their new song It's Not Living (if it's not with you), but their old stuff also never gets boring for me either! Oh, and the final artist I have listened to a whole lot is Coldplay. I have always been a huge fan of Coldplay but I have really explored their back catalogue this year getting to know their earlier stuff better.

My Last Fm most listened to artists - bearing in mind I began LastFM on 1st May 2018, so 7 months of the year!

Furthered my love of History

Applying for History at university this year has spurred me on to explore my love of history more and work out which sort of history is really for me. I have realised I am most into social history, and have read some amazing books such as The Century Girls by Tessa Dunlop, which influenced me so much I wrote about it in my personal statement. It was so interesting to read about the past 100 years from six centenarian women all from completely different backgrounds, an absolute must-read.

Saw a concert front row with my best friends

I have made so many fab memories with my friends this year but an event that really sticks out to me is seeing George Ezra front row in the pouring rain! It was such an achievement to get the front row and such a great concert, I commented before about how much I have listened to George Ezra so it was great to see him live so close.

Been to Friends Fest

Being a huge Friends fan, I loved going to Friends Fest this year at Manchester's Heaton Park, as I had dreamed of attending for a couple of years! It was such a fun experience exploring the apartments and taking many Friends style photos, I seriously recommend it to any Friends fan like myself.

Obsessed over the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette

I'm thinking of writing a separate post for beauty so I haven't gone overboard in this one, but I couldn't round up the year without commenting about how much I loved the ABH Modern Renaissance palette this year. Since I got it in New York in May I have used it ever since; it has become an absolute staple for me! I am tempted to give it a break for a little to give my other palettes some time to shine, but it really is the best eyeshadow palette out there.

Interviewed at Oxford

To round up the year I went to Oxford to interview which was the most stressful but amazing experience ever. It almost felt like a mini-holiday, getting away from college for a few days to explore this amazing city, if we ignore the stressful interviews in the middle! I met so many wonderful people, including one of my fave bloggers Eleanor so it really was a trip I will never forget, and the best way to finish the year.