2019 Non Beauty Favourites

Happy Friday! This week I've been sharing with you my make up and skincare favourites from 2019 and today I'm back to share with you all of my non beauty favourites from the last twelve months. I've got a mix of everything from films to albums to style and adventures. There are no books as I'm going to talk about those in a seperate post but there are still loads of favourites to come. Shall we get into it?

Albums: 2019 was an amazing year for new albums and new music. There were five albums that I absolutely adored during the last year. I can't acutally put my finger on which of these are my absolute favourite and if you've listened to them then you'll know why. Thank U, Next from Ariana Grande started the year off strongly and whilst it took a few listens to really love the album as a whole, it became a staple of many playlists of mine this year. The same could be said for both Lover by Taylor Swift and Romance by Camilla Cabello. Each one took a couple of listens to really enjoy them as a whole but now they are staples in my daily listening. Ocean by Lady Antebellum is the heartbreak album of the year. There are so many emotional, powerful numbers that on bad days can make me sob like a baby. Be Patient With My Love and Ocean are two stand out numbers from the album and I'm dying them to announce their tour dates so I can try and get the chance to hear them both live. And then Luke Evans released his much anticipated album and I am in love. I already knew he could sing but damn that man can sing. His renditions of If I Could Turn Back Time and At Last are phenomenal and I can't wait to hear them live when me and mum see him in London in April.

Films: There have been so many good films released throughout the last year and it was hard to narrow it down to my absolute favourites. Yet one film made it onto the list before it was even released and that is Rocketman. I'm a huge fan of both Elton John and Taron Egerton so Egerton playing Elton in this biopic was the perfect pairing. Egerton's voice on the soundtrack was outstanding and his performance as Elton was phenomenal. I personally think it should be one that's considered for an Oscar Nomination. One film that broke my heart into a million pieces was Avengers: Endgame. I still can't find the right words to describe how this made me feel apart from heartbroken. It was an amazing to tie up the first three phases of the MCU and whilst I'm looking forward to what Marvel are going to do next, I'm also apprehensive because so many of my beloved characters are no longer going to be there. A film that I didn't realise I needed to see until the trailer was released was Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. I adored the first film and didn't understand where they could take a sequel but Disney absolutely smashed it out the park. Angeline Jolie and Elle Fanning were phenomenal in their reprisals of Maleficent and Aurora but it was the addition of Michelle Pfieffer as the villianous queen that really gave this film it's oomph. And you know it's good when mum gives it a five star rating when she can barely stay awake during films. The last film I loved in 2019 was a bit of a latecomer and is considered terrible by many. And that film in 6 Underground. Directed by Micheal Bay and starring an all star cast including Ryan Reynolds, Dave Franco and Ben Hardy, this no barrs hold, explosive, action packed film has that slightly trashy feeling that many an action film has but is also packed full of humour, witty one liners and beautifully choreographed actions sequences that the ex film studies nerd in me loves. If you haven't checked it out on Netflix, I highly recommend watching it.

TV Shows: 2019 wasn't the biggest year for TV for me, most of my favourites are recurrences from previous years and are shows that I've watched for years. Chicago Fire was a show that I had fallen out of love with until 2019 where I binged watched all the seasons I'd missed and I'm now all caught up, waiting for it to return from it's Winter break. Yet during the year I finally caved and got Netflix (I know I'm late) but it introduced it to two amazing shows that I thoroughly adored. The Witcher is a late entry onto this list but definitely worth it. Henry Cavil is absolutely amazing as Geralt Of Rivia, the fight choreography in the first episode had me hooked enough to binge half the season just as I wrapped Christmas presents. And the second show I binged in a day and can't wait for the second season to drop on January 17th is Sex Education. I'd heard everyone raving about it but hadn't gotten around to watching it myself. It's absolutely hilarious and I spent half my time crying with laughter. It's definitely the modern day equivalent to Skins and if the second season is as good as the first, I can see it featuring again in my 2020 Yearly Favourites.

 Adventures: I have been on so many different adventures throughout 2019. The scariest yet the one I'm most proud of is the promotion I took at work. I didn't intend on taking a promotion last year but the opportunity arose and after a lot of debate, I decided to go for it and it was the best decision I made last year. I'm so proud of how far I've come and how hard I worked to prove I was good enough, something I'm definitely going to carry on in 2020. Apart from that me and Jasmin went on many an adventure, inluding seeing Aladdin in the West End, Shawn Mendes at the O2, Nightmare Before Christmas Live at Wembley and getting tattoos for her birthday. Yet the one night of the year that stood out to me was the night we went to see Carrie Underwood at the Wembley Arena. I'd been waiting ten years to see her live and getting to see her Cry Pretty Tour in person was phenomenal. I cried like a baby, literally for a good half the show. It was magical to see my idol live for the first time and couldn't get over how flawless her voice was live.

Monthly Favourites: November

Where has November gone? Like literally the month has flown by and I feel like I've barely managed to accomplish half of what I wanted to. Yet I did manage to club together a good selection of favourites this month. Most of them are non beauty favourites but there are a couple of beauty favourites that have managed to sneak their way in.

The first favourite of the month is something I actually watched in October. The new remake of The Addams Family was my mine and mumma's way of spending Halloween together and it was really good. It did lack the cheesy, old school vibe of the original but it had a quirkiness that worked and didn't make it feel boring or overdone. It also doesn't hurt that Christina Aguilera has a song on the soundtrack that gives me major throwback vibes.

My second favourite this month is Murder Mystery on Netflix. It's not the most high class offering that Netflix has but it was funny and was brilliant to watch as an unwind at the end of a day. Starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anniston as a married couple who happen to be invited onto a billionares yacht as a gesture of good will which quickly turns into a murder investigation as everyone they talk to or are seen with dies. I've made it sound better than it probably is but I loved the slightly cheesy humour, the combination of Aniston and Sandler working together again and Luke Evans looked particuarly good in all those well tailored suits his character wears.

Last month I talked about how much I was enjoying the return of Chicago Fire and this month I've thoroughly enjoyed catching up on Chicago P.D. Now into it's seventh season, P.D has already seen one of the original characters leave, a new arrival arrive with a bang, some shocking yet sensational storylines and one the most anxiety ridden fall finales ever. As you read this I will know the outcome of the fall finale but as I write this, I have proper low key anxiety about it. I'm just really hoping they don't kill of this main and well loved character for a cliffhanger or shock value.

You may have seen in My What I Got For Birthday post that I went to the Harry Potter Tour this month and it as phenomenal. I noticed so many small details that I didn't in my original visit last year and it was great to get a closer look at their Dark Arts props and costumes as part of their Dark Arts/Halloween season. I also finally got to see Gringotts in all it's glory, my favourite part being the Dragon's escape just past the vaults. If you haven't got chance to see Gringotts yet, I highly recommend going, it's worth every second.

Novemeber has been the month for music. It started with Lady Antebellum's new album Ocean and has just gotten better since. Ocean has been one of the albums I've been looking forward to since it was announced. It has an extremely old school Lady A sound and I can honestly say that whilst I have my favourites there isn't a single song on there that I dislike. Ocean, Boots, Alright and Be Patient With My Love are my absolute favourites as they are moving, nostalgic and give me all the feels. If you haven't seen the In The Rounds rendition of Be Patient With My Love, go and watch it. It will hit you in the feels and you'll find yourself watching it repeatedly. It's become the perfect accompaniment on an evening when I've got my nose buried in a book.

Another album I've been impatiently waiting for and am mad about is Luke Evan's debut album At Last. I adored him as Gaston in Beauty And The Beast and when it was announced he was releasing an album, it was like all my dreams were coming true. Packed full of new imaginings of many musical and well loved classics, At Last is like the gift that just keeps on giving. From Les Mis to 80's hair ballads, Evans turns each number on it's head, his stunning voice giving them a completely new sound. At Last, If I Could Turn Back Time, First Time I Ever Saw Your Face and Bring Him Home are my absolute favourites from the album, the reimaginings of each one absolutely stunning. It's definitely going to be hard to stop me from listening to both this and Ocean on repeat over the Christmas period.

The last music favourite I have this month was a surprising one as I didn't know she was even releasing new music. Munroe who's better know as Kathleen Munroe released a new song this Wednesday just gone and it's been on repeat ever since. Wreak Havoc is a beautiful folksy number that has moving lyrics and a stunning saxophone underbeat. Written about her time split between Paris and New York the song has a stunning slow rythmn that works wonders with her light and airy voice that is nothing like anything you hear on records these days. I'm so glad that she's released new music, even if it was a surprise.

Now let's move onto my only beauty favourites of the month. The first was a splurge/treat yoself purchase I made last month but I'm so glad I did. The Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored is the most stunning red liquid lipstick I've ever owned. Now that may sound dramatic but I've only worn this liquid lipstick whenever I've worn lipstick this month. A true classic blue toned red, this colour not only flatters my skintone and makes my teeth look whiter but stays in place all day and doesn't feel dry or uncomfortable at all. It's more mousse like formula drys instantly on the lips but doesn't suck all the moisture out of your lips like other liquid lipstick formulas do. Sure it transfers slightly but it isn't obvious and you can easily eat and not need to immediately reapply it. All I will say though is check your teeth before you leave the house. Because it's so liquidy in formula it does quickly transfer onto your teeth when your applying it. I always spend a good half an hour religiously checking my teeth but once it's fully dried you'll be fine.

And my last favourite of the month is one I didn't expect to be including but I've been happily surprised by them. When I went to Harry Potter earlier this month I painted my nails and was happily surprised when I went on to paint them again the week after and again this week. And it's all down to the Barry M Green Origins Nail Paints. One of the newer releases from Barry M, these Green Origin Nail Paints contain less chemicals than other nail paints but still are highly pigmented and have amazing staying power. I've worn the shades Butterscotch, Boysenberry and Rock Pool. All three are highly pigmented and once paired with Green Origins Top Coat don't chip or budge for a good five days at a time. And I've actually really enjoyed painting my nails again, something that used to be more of a chore than a practice of self care.

Monthly Favourites: October

October is coming to an end and I can't work out whether it's just flown by or if it's been one of the longer months of the year. This month has been manic and with that I've found I've not got as many favourites as I usually would have which I'm sharing with you today. 

 My first two favourites this month have to be TV favourites. Chicago Fire is back and I couldn't be happier. I may have to sneakily watch it online the day after it's aired but I don't care. At one point Chicago Fire was my least favourite of the One Chicago Franchise but after a binge watch last year to catch up for Season 7, it's become my favourite. The characters are my favourites and I may have sobbed when they opened Season 8 with a major character being killed off. If you've not caught up on any of Season 8 or that magnificent crossover between all three shows, then I highly recommend you check it out. You won't be disappointed. 

Not only is Chicago Fire back but so is S.W.A.T. This is not high brow TV, it's not going to be to everyone's taste but I absolutely adore it. Packed full of action, witty one liners and fun side plots that make it one of the most jam packed shows on TV. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a favourite because Chris is an absolutle BAMF queen which also goes for Lina Esco who plays her as well. Last year there were multiple storylines that weren't wrapped up before Season 2 finished so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they play out or conclude during Season 3. 

A song I haven't been able to stop listening to is the first single from Luke Evan's much anticipated album At Last. Love Is A Battlefield is a cover of Pat Bennetar's Eighties hit. It's a slower sound to the original but it's absolutely amazing and I can not stop marveling over Evan's voice. I already knew he could sing when he played Gaston in Beauty And The Beast but this is a different sound and I really can't wait to hear what the rest of the album when it's released in November. 

In September I finally finished the training for my promotion and passed the sign off with flying colours so I treated myself to a pair of Dr Martens.  They are the Sinclair Boot in the Aunt Sally leather. Now even though it was love at first sight for me, it took a long while for them to treat my feet with love. Blister upon blister, plasters galore, my poor feet went through absolute agony before I could even wear these comfortably. But now I can happily say that I am wearing these everytime I'm not in my work uniform. They are so comfy, they go with so many outfits and they make me feel ten times cooler than I'll ever actually be. Sure they were expensive but damn I'm going to get so much wear out of them, you'll all be sick of me talking about them. 

The last non beauty favourite I have this month is one I've been using for months but I've never actually gotten round to putting it into a favourites post. If you haven't worked it out already, I'm a massive fan of Nightmare Before Christmas and I'm slowly building a mug collection that is driving my mum crazy. And my absolute favourite mug for the last few months has been this gigantic Nightmare Before Christmas mug I brought from a little alternative store in Basingstoke called Cool. And I'm in love. It's the perfect size for all the tea and I've loved having massive cups of Biscuit Brew in it, morning, noon and evening, especially when it's been a Bake Off night. It was only £12, has quickly become my most prized possession; even over my phone and iPad, and has not disappointed me and never will. 

And now it's time for my last favourite and my only beauty favourite of the month. Last year I tried and loved a sample of Liz Earle's SuperSkin Moisturiser With Natural Neroli. And now the colder weather is here to stay I just had to buy a full size pot of it. Packed with the all the skin loving ingredients Liz Earle is known and loved for, this works not only to moisturise my skin but also alleviates any redness that my skin may have and leaves my skin hydrated, smooth and prepped for any make up I'd apply over top. But what I love the most about it is that it's lightweight on the skin and doesn't leave it feeling weighed down or greasy whilst still working to nourish my skin.