It hasn't been that long since we last talked but I feel like so much has happened over the past month, I really wanted to share it with you!
Blog Madness
As I mentioned in my recent post, the past month has been madness in blog terms. I'm still half-expecting to log on one day and have the same number of followers I did before! As I mentioned last month, after being in a couple of Bloglovin Beauty emails in November, a post was then featured in the Bloglovin Edit. It's kind of just snowballed from there... I'm honestly so overwhelmed and although I know the growth will slow down, I'm enjoying it whilst it lasts.
I've been working hard on my blog over the past year and whilst I appreciated every single person who visited and liked it enough to click 'follow', the recognition I've got recently has been incredible. I've genuinely gone from a little over 2000 followers (with there definitely being days, even weeks where I gained little or no new ones) to over 12,000. I was expecting some exposure from the feature but not that much...not even 1/10 of that much... Thank you so much to everyone reading this and for everyone's kind, supportive words about this!
I've been working hard on my blog over the past year and whilst I appreciated every single person who visited and liked it enough to click 'follow', the recognition I've got recently has been incredible. I've genuinely gone from a little over 2000 followers (with there definitely being days, even weeks where I gained little or no new ones) to over 12,000. I was expecting some exposure from the feature but not that much...not even 1/10 of that much... Thank you so much to everyone reading this and for everyone's kind, supportive words about this!
What I Got Up to Over Christmas and New Year
I've honestly had one of the best Christmas and New Year breaks I can remember. I detailed what I did each day in My Week in Lipsticks, as I was lucky enough to be able to get the three working days between Christmas and New Year off.
Firstly, it was lovely to see so much of my family on Christmas Day itself, as it feels like ages since we last did that. It was also great to spend some quality time with my boyfriend and his family. We usually see each other on the weekend and it goes so quickly. This time round we could have lazy days, we could have days when we did loads, we could have days where we went off and did our own thing.
I also loved getting together with my girls around the New Year. Whilst I'd seen pretty much all of them individually quite recently, we've not all been together in one place for about a year. One of my friends also just got back from travelling around Brazil so it was so good to catch up with her. We managed to eat, drink and shop our way around London in a couple of days! Me and my boyfriend went to a party with my friends in London for New Year's Eve and as it was a bit of a last minute, ordered my dress on ASOS premiere a couple of days before kind of thing, I didn't have many expectations. However it turned out to be such a great night! I got chatting to so many random, interesting people and there were a few blasts from the (uni) past that made me feel quite nostalgic. It definitely beat paying £50 to go to a packed club and having a let-down of a night!
What I Ate and Did
I finally tried the breakfast at Bill's whilst I was in St. Albans (the veggie version, of course!) and it really is worth the hype. My stomach is rumbling just thinking about it... I also went to Balthazar's with the girls, a French restaurant in Covent Garden, which was lovely (we had brunch). Whilst I was on time and everyone else was late (as usual) I had a look round the amazing Charlotte Tilbury boutique store and did a little Kikki K haul... When we went to Westfield in Stratford (which obviously meant lunch at Giraffe, one of my favourite chain restaurants) I also visited Inglot and put together my own palette.
What I've Watched
Narcos
At the end of 2016 I watched the whole of Narcos and I absolutely loved it! It's the story of Pablo Escobar's journey to becoming one of the most dangerous drug lords in the world, told partially from an American DEA agent stationed in Columbia. It's pretty brutal at times but it's incredibly well-acted. I don't know a huge amount about the ins and outs of what happened in Columbia at that time so for me it was full of twists and action, keeping me on the edge of my seat.
At the end of 2016 I watched the whole of Narcos and I absolutely loved it! It's the story of Pablo Escobar's journey to becoming one of the most dangerous drug lords in the world, told partially from an American DEA agent stationed in Columbia. It's pretty brutal at times but it's incredibly well-acted. I don't know a huge amount about the ins and outs of what happened in Columbia at that time so for me it was full of twists and action, keeping me on the edge of my seat.
And Then There Were None
This was a fantastic 3-part adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel where a group of very different people are all lured onto a remote island, where it transpires they've all in some way had a hand in killing someone. Then, one by one, they start to get bumped off in ironic ways. It's pretty much everything you'd want in a murder mystery; there are some big surprises and it's just overall very entertaining (so catch it on iPlayer if you get the chance!)
This was a fantastic 3-part adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel where a group of very different people are all lured onto a remote island, where it transpires they've all in some way had a hand in killing someone. Then, one by one, they start to get bumped off in ironic ways. It's pretty much everything you'd want in a murder mystery; there are some big surprises and it's just overall very entertaining (so catch it on iPlayer if you get the chance!)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This is already one of the highest-grossing films of all time! I have to admit I've never seen a Star Wars film before in my life so I was going into this blind but with an open mind. I wasn't wowed by this film, it was decently entertaining but not one I'd see again. It was quite a fun film with some great moments but overall it just fell a little flat for me after all the hype. I think this is probably more one for the fans than the casual viewer.
This is already one of the highest-grossing films of all time! I have to admit I've never seen a Star Wars film before in my life so I was going into this blind but with an open mind. I wasn't wowed by this film, it was decently entertaining but not one I'd see again. It was quite a fun film with some great moments but overall it just fell a little flat for me after all the hype. I think this is probably more one for the fans than the casual viewer.
Trainwreck
I was not expecting to love this film like I did, but it honestly had me in tears at times! Amy is a bit of a party girl who writes for a lads mag and after being sent to interview a sports doctor, she and this 'nice guy' start dating. Amy Schumer is absolutely hilarious and her character is so relatable. It's definitely something different to the usual romcom with a female main character and I love it - I will definitely be checking out Amy's standup and TV work.
I was not expecting to love this film like I did, but it honestly had me in tears at times! Amy is a bit of a party girl who writes for a lads mag and after being sent to interview a sports doctor, she and this 'nice guy' start dating. Amy Schumer is absolutely hilarious and her character is so relatable. It's definitely something different to the usual romcom with a female main character and I love it - I will definitely be checking out Amy's standup and TV work.
Inside Out
I don't know how but Pixar always seems to come up with the most exciting, imaginative concepts for their animated films. This one is set inside the mind of a young girl from childhood through to her pre-teen years, when she is thrown into crisis by moving to a new city. Her memories, emotions and thoughts are brought to life in such a smart, creative way. It was so funny and I appreciated the grown up jokes thrown in there too. It also may have made me shed a tear at one or two moments. This is one of the best and most intelligent children's films I've seen and I thoroughly recommend it.
I don't know how but Pixar always seems to come up with the most exciting, imaginative concepts for their animated films. This one is set inside the mind of a young girl from childhood through to her pre-teen years, when she is thrown into crisis by moving to a new city. Her memories, emotions and thoughts are brought to life in such a smart, creative way. It was so funny and I appreciated the grown up jokes thrown in there too. It also may have made me shed a tear at one or two moments. This is one of the best and most intelligent children's films I've seen and I thoroughly recommend it.
Jurassic World
I actually never saw this at the cinema as I thought it would be beyond awful. But on Christmas Eve we had this on DVD or it was on Sky Movies so we decided to watch it. I actually ended up really enjoying this in all its dinosaur-y action silliness. It's actually hugely entertaining and a great instalment in the franchise.
I actually never saw this at the cinema as I thought it would be beyond awful. But on Christmas Eve we had this on DVD or it was on Sky Movies so we decided to watch it. I actually ended up really enjoying this in all its dinosaur-y action silliness. It's actually hugely entertaining and a great instalment in the franchise.
Dickensian
This was a bit of a 'Sunday afternoon, fancy having something on TV' thing for me. It's a sort of Dickens prequel/crossover that has characters from all of his major works interacting in London at the same time before the main events of their respective books. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's well worth watching (it's also in easy-to-view 30 minute episodes) and it's especially entertaining for people who have read his books to see how things unfold and lead up to the story lines in his books.
Making a Murderer
Pretty much overnight, everyone seemed to be talking about this Netflix documentary series. I didn't know much about it before marathoning it in a weekend, which is the best way to do it! Over 10 hours it tells the story of a very complicated murder trial through archive footage, police reports, recorded phone calls and courtroom footage. I won't tell you any more, as you really need to see this for yourself. I was so engrossed in the detailed, thorough story and its background. It isn't an easy story to witness but if you're interested in true crime, courtroom cases and police procedurals then definitely watch this.
This was a bit of a 'Sunday afternoon, fancy having something on TV' thing for me. It's a sort of Dickens prequel/crossover that has characters from all of his major works interacting in London at the same time before the main events of their respective books. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's well worth watching (it's also in easy-to-view 30 minute episodes) and it's especially entertaining for people who have read his books to see how things unfold and lead up to the story lines in his books.
Making a Murderer
Pretty much overnight, everyone seemed to be talking about this Netflix documentary series. I didn't know much about it before marathoning it in a weekend, which is the best way to do it! Over 10 hours it tells the story of a very complicated murder trial through archive footage, police reports, recorded phone calls and courtroom footage. I won't tell you any more, as you really need to see this for yourself. I was so engrossed in the detailed, thorough story and its background. It isn't an easy story to witness but if you're interested in true crime, courtroom cases and police procedurals then definitely watch this.
Realising Just How Much Work I Have to Do
In terms of my CII studies, I took a bit of a break over Christmas and New Year but since starting back at work for the new year it's really hit me just how much I have to get through between now and the end of April especially! I have exams, coursework, internal exams and obviously the 9-5 aspect of my job so I'm trying to be super-organised to stay on top of everything.
I'm Going on a Spending Ban! No, really...
I've decided that in February (of course I chose the shortest month in the year...) I'm going on a real, proper Spending Ban, just to prove to myself I can do it! Then I'll be documenting my efforts in a diary for a blog post. Although writing this I kind of realised I'm gonna have to cheat on Day 1 as I've been planning for a while to get the new Nars Skin Tint. But maybe we can start it the day after... Make sure you keep up with me on social media to see how my #FrugalFebruary goes and I'd love it if you wanted to join in.
In terms of my CII studies, I took a bit of a break over Christmas and New Year but since starting back at work for the new year it's really hit me just how much I have to get through between now and the end of April especially! I have exams, coursework, internal exams and obviously the 9-5 aspect of my job so I'm trying to be super-organised to stay on top of everything.
I'm Going on a Spending Ban! No, really...
I've decided that in February (of course I chose the shortest month in the year...) I'm going on a real, proper Spending Ban, just to prove to myself I can do it! Then I'll be documenting my efforts in a diary for a blog post. Although writing this I kind of realised I'm gonna have to cheat on Day 1 as I've been planning for a while to get the new Nars Skin Tint. But maybe we can start it the day after... Make sure you keep up with me on social media to see how my #FrugalFebruary goes and I'd love it if you wanted to join in.
What have you been watching lately and what did you get up to over Christmas and New Year?
I'm so glad your blog has got more exposure as you have been my favourite blogger for such a long time! I also reaaally need to watch making a murderer!!
ReplyDeleteJodie @ Jodetopia x
Thank you so much Jodie! <3 xx
DeleteWow! I am so glad more people have found your blog! My blog has grown so much this month too! I have gained over a 100 followers in a matter of weeks more than I have done in the last 6 months
ReplyDeletehttp://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you lovely - and good luck/congrats on your growth! xx
DeleteNarcos are the best!
ReplyDelete& I really like your blog is one of my favourites. But I am quite sad cuz you never answer my comments or visit our blogs too. That means a lot to me :)
But okay,...
Wish you all the best! <3
I always answer your comments :( for a few months I was weeks behind but I've manage to catch up in January so please do check back for it! I didn't realise you had a blog either but I visit every single link people leave in the comments! Xx
DeleteHuge congrats on your blog Jasmine! I loved Inside Out, it was one of my favourite movies from last year for sure x
ReplyDeleteDarling Jordan || Giveaway
Thank you Jordan! :) xx
DeleteFirst off, congrats on your huge gains! That's an amazing achievement!
ReplyDeleteTrain wreck has been by far the funniest movie I've watched in ages, I loved it. And I agree with you about Inside Out, I took my son to see it at the movies a while back and it's such a well thought out movie with a great message, I ended up in tears. At the cinema. Lols.
The Beauty Bloss
Thank you lovely and haha me too though luckily not at the cinema! xx
DeleteI'm so happy for you Jasmine! I can tell you've worked so hard for this blog and it has definitely paid off! I visit your blog everyday because it's always full of new ideas and lovely photos :) Your blog is definitely one of my favourite blogs to visit ever!
ReplyDeleteI really love Inside Out too - it's just such an intelligent film! I've not seen Making a Murderer but soo many people have been talking about it and hyping it up and now even you! I'm definitely going to check it out now! :) xx
http://kayleighmakesup.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you so much for your kind words Kayleigh! xx
DeleteCongratulations hun! Your blog is amazing and so helpful! I love every single one of your posts! You deserve this!
ReplyDeleteFix Me In Forty Five - A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog
Blog Lovin' // Instagram
xx
Thanks so much Stacey! xx
DeleteCongratulation on your blog achievements! Out of the blogs I followed, you're the most consistent one, you definitely deserve it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with #FrugalFebruary!
You deserve every one of your 12k+ followers! It's obvious how much work you put into your blog!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Star Wars but I watched all 6 over the previous few months so was excited to see it! We're in the middle of Making A Murderer and then Narcos is next!
Good luck with your spending ban! xx
Beautylymin
Thank you so much! I'm sure you'll love Narcos! xx
DeleteWow well done on your gains! You really deserve it and it's so aspiring! I love your blog and you put in such an effort with it. I'm really glad you've achieved what you have. Good luck on your spending ban haha x
ReplyDeleteLauren | itslaurenvictoria.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you Lauren! <3 xx
DeleteMassive congrats on your achievements with your blog, Jasmine, they're so well deserved! <3
ReplyDeleteI didn't realise there'd been an adaptation of And Then There Were None, gonna have to track that down as I adored the book! :)
Jess xo | The Indigo Hours
Thank you Jess! I've not read the book but apparently it's very true to it :) xx
DeleteHuge congrats about the blog! You so, SO desrve it!
ReplyDeleteAlso, your watch list kinda just makes me wanna curl up on the couch and make some popcorn. And yes, Trainwreck was amazing. (It could just also be my obsession with Amy Schumer though :))
Allie | RainyAllie
Aw thank you! And that was pretty much what I did over Christmas haha xx
DeleteCongrats, honey! You deserve a lot of followers :) So I'm super happy for you.
ReplyDeleteAs for the movies you mentioned, I binge-watched all 6 old Star Wars movies in the Christmas holiday, just to catch up and see what's the fuss all about, and I absolutely loved it! So when I went to the cinema to see the new one, I was thrilled, and I enjoyed it so much.
Also, Inside Out is amazing, one of the best animations ever!
Kisses,
www.bloggerissa.com
Thank you so much! And glad you enjoyed both films! xx
DeleteI will 100% join in with #FrugalFebruary! Well I'll try anyway, was planning on going on a spending ban in January but it's went out the window! I've only watched one episode of Making a Murderer as I'm useless at sitting down and watching things but I will definitely get it finished at some point!
ReplyDeleteDanielle's Beauty Blog
I'm really committed to the idea of doing a proper spending ban next month! xx
DeleteCongratulations Jasmine! You deserve all this success as you put so much work into your blog AND you have a full time job (still don't know how you do it tbh) I look forward to more posts in 2016! xxx
ReplyDeletewww.cruzbeauty.com
Aw thank you so much Maria! :D xx
DeleteCongratulations! You deserve it all, and I am sure your followers number will be growing more and more!
ReplyDeleteInside out is a great animation, I really enjoy watching animation movies! After years of waiting, it was good watching Jurassic Park again. Good luck with your spending ban, one day of cheating is fine ;) x
www.elabellaworld.com
Thank you so much Ela! xx
DeleteI just found your blog and I love it! :)
ReplyDeletePinkdaisyloves.blogspot.com.cy
Thank you :) xx
DeleteCongrats on your blog! It's such an amazing achievement, well done! xx
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to go on a save-less-but-still-treat-myself type of year? Haha i wouldn't last a spending ban!
lovely post,
Daizy | www.ZyaandDaizy.wordpress.com
Thank you :) sounds like we have the opposite problems to each other! xx
DeleteNice blog and photos
ReplyDeletePls follow me:
Discoveringglam
So happy your blog has blown up !! You really deserve it :) I can see you put so much effort into your content. Here's to 12,00 more followers or more in 2016 ;)
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience over Christmas/New Year, was so nice to have a full week off to chill. Me and my boyfriend only get to see each other once a week as well, so lazy days are always a treat for us too :)
Kat | www.kathorrocks.com
Thank you so much Kat! Seems like we're in similar situations with the long-distance :) xx
DeleteI watched part of "And Then There Were None" over Christmas & loved it. I need to catch up on the rest soon.. Congratulations on the extra blog success, it's well deserved! :) x
ReplyDeleteSmall&Blonde♥
Definitely do! And thank you Samantha :) xx
DeleteI knew so many more people had started to love your blog but I didn't realise quite how many it really was! well done! well deserved. I love your blog (and you of course)
ReplyDeleteLoved inside out, Narcos amd how to make a murderer too, I cry at inside out every single time, silly mum hormones lol :)
So happy to hear you had such a good xmas and new year! :)
http://www.makeerinover.co.uk
Aw thank you Erin and I hope you did too! xx
DeleteI studied criminology at uni and could literally talk about making a murderer until the cows come home. Its crazy that something like that could happen to someone in this day and age! Good luck on your spending ban. I've tried it many of times and epically failed! xx
ReplyDeletewww.lpagebeauty.com
It's so engrossing! I have done previously but this time it's going to be different! xx
DeleteGreat post, glad to hear your years going good so far♡ Your blog's layout is so cute, was wondering if you'd be able to find the time to check mine out? Thanks xxx
ReplyDeletehttp://lulublittleblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Thank you xx
DeleteI loved And then there were none, it was such a gripping show. Although I did find some parts too spooky haha! Congratulations on all the growth :)
ReplyDeleteVelvet Blush
Thank you lovely! :) xx
DeleteThat's so exciting, I'm happy for you :) I'm excited to see what you have in store for #frugalfebruary :)
ReplyDeleteSamantha Series
Thank you and hope you enjoy! xx
DeleteI'm so happy for you! You definitely deserve all the success, you are an amazing blogger!
ReplyDeleteBecky, xx // http://undertheseabeauty.blogspot.ca/
Aw thanks so much Becky! xx
DeleteI love Narcos and once we finish House of Cards, we are going to watch Making a Murderer. COngratulations on all the new followers! I haven't been following for long but your posts are great and your photos are amazing (that's what drew me in to your blog!)
ReplyDeleteTahana <3
http://tahanalee.blogspot.com.au/
Thank you so much! And House of Cards is great! xx
DeleteYou really do deserve all the followers that you have as you clearly put in a lot of work to your blog. I have to say that although I wasn't much of a Star Wars fan I did also see it over the festive season and I loved it :)
ReplyDeletePams Stuff and Things
Aw thank you Pam! :) xx
DeleteCongrats on the Blog Madness! :) You deserve all the new followers and more.
ReplyDeleteAlso really enjoyed pretty much all the films and shows you mentioned, especially Star Wars. I'm a newfound fan. Such a great film. xx
Renata | Speaking Beauty UK
Thanks so much Renata! xx
DeleteSo happy that your blog is getting the recognition it deserves. It has been one of my favourites for such a long time, and one I log on to almost daily. You deserve every follower and more!
ReplyDeleteKirstie | Behind The Scent (formerly Kimamely Beauty)
Thank you Kirstie :D that means a lot xx
DeleteThank you so much! I'm glad the effort is appreciated! :) my boyfriend suggested the Jinx after we watched Making a Murderer, will have to check it out! xx
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations on doing so well on your blog. You deserve it, it's one of my fave blogs to read.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is talking about Making a Murderer so I am going to have to put it on my Netflix list.
Im binge watching Amy Schumers tv series at the moment just got through season 2 and I can definitely recommend it, it can be close to the bone but she is very funny.
Im just getting towards the end of my January spending ban so good luck with yours. Im having abit of a declutter at the moment so I think I might join you in having a #Frugalfebruary.
Leigh
http://beautybargainsandbeyond.blogspot.com/
Thank you Leigh! :) I definitely will be, thanks for the recommendation! xx
DeleteWow Jasmine, congratulations on the Bloglovin news!!! I've been totally MIA lately and I'm just catching up on your posts now. Congrats - your blog is amazing and you deserve it!!
ReplyDeleteAmy | The Beauty Post
Thank you so much Amy, looking forward to catching up on your posts too! Xx
DeleteYour blog is amazing and you deserve the success! :) xx
ReplyDeleteGyudy @ Gyudy's Notes Of Beauty
Aw thank you! :) xx
Deletecongratulations on your blog getting that feature and more exposure hun, your blog is always lovely to read :)
ReplyDeleteMissy
www.missynadm.com
Thank you Missy! :) xx
DeleteI am sooo proud of how far your blog has come and you deserve this many and sooo many more Jasmine! The detail of your posts and the consistently high quality photos speak for themselves ^_^ good luck with your spending ban, its not as bad as it might sound I promise and I say that with experience I am on day 125!!! Can't quite believe it myself and ohhhh that NARS matte skin tint is calling my name, but I am determined to get to my birthday hehe. However I am VERY excited to hear your thoughts on it!
ReplyDeleteIqra | The Blushing Giraffe x
Thank you so much Iqra, you always leave such lovely, supportive comments <3 and I have mad respect for your spending ban! xx
DeleteCongratulations Jasmine! When I first discovered your blog, even in its earlier days I knew I had come across someone amazing - you speak your mind, you put so much work and love into your blog and it comes across and makes me always want to hear what you have to say! Well done, you deserve it all and so much more! <3
ReplyDeleteI am totally hooked on Dickensian...like you said, not ground-breaking but really great for Dickens fans.
Sal UmmBabyBeauty | @ummbaby