Welcome back my beautiful people.
Here today is my September Wrap Up and October TBR, I do have a video up for this which you can view here. I read for books this month, which I was pretty happy with since two of them were not only really good but they were also both over 600 pages long!
Ok, here we go...








1. Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas
With the release of Empire of Storms looming over me, I decided to start book four in the Throne of Glass series. I started off with a chapter here and there and then all of sudden I found myself fully immersed in the story and it was so damn hard to put it down to do those other necessary things humans must do. For me, Queen of Shadows is where everything really picked up for me. I felt that the story flowed really nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed all of Aelin's cunning antics. Manon (our fave witch wing leader), soon became my favourite character in the entire series after her first chapter and I could seriously read about her all day. If you're a fantasy/action lover, you should definitely consider picking up this series (book one is Throne of Glass).
5/5

2. A Work in Progress - Connor Franta
Let's be honest here, I picked this book up because of the cover (see above picture), it's nice isn't it? Connor Franta is a YouTuber I've never watched before and this book is his memoir of the past...22 years? Something like that. After finishing this book, I searched for him on YouTube and watched the shortest video I could find - hmmm perhaps not for me right now. People, if you actually watch and like Connor Franta then you can consider picking up the book, do not fall for the pretty cover. I gave the rating I did because I'm sure it would be interesting if I liked him. Also, he switched a lot between years... Why?
A generous 3/5

3. Empire of Storms - Sarah J Maas
Book five in the Throne of Glass series is almost 700 pages long, and oh my lord did I enjoy every part of it. So much so that once I finished it I lay face down on the couch for a good 10 minutes reminiscing (that wasn't even a long time). Personally, this was even more enjoyable than Queen of Shadows. I loved Elide and Lorcan doing their thing together, I loved Aelin and Rowan doing their thing together, I loved whatever is brewing between Lysandra and Aedion, and most of all I loved my Queen Manon and Dorian - whatever is happening between them. My favourite character developments have been Elide and Dorian, they are both just so much better characters - and I already liked their characters before. And Manon... my love.... She is honestly, probably my favourite female character of all books I've ever read (big thing to say!!!) I won't babble too much more, I have a video book talk/review of Empire of Storms that you can watch here if you'd like.
5/5



4. The Fall of Butterflies - Andrea Portes
I decided to go with an easy contemporary as a break from all the fantasy I've been reading. Within a few pages of this book, I didn't really like it and was dreading continuing it. It's written as if the main character, Willa, is speaking to the reader with her thoughts and it felt quite middle grade for me - bit of a no go for me. It follows Willa's journey at her new private fancy rich kid school (she is not rich, but her mother whom she doesn't like nor speak to has connections). I continued reading because it was honestly really easy to read and surprisingly it got better. I felt it matured a little and with the introduction of a couple of other characters it became a lot more interesting. When I finished the book, I was pretty happy with it and would recommend to lovers of contemporaries aged maybe 13 - 21 years old, maybe... I'm not sure. I have a full review here if you want to check it out.
3.5/5






1. Disruption - Jessica Shirvington
2. Corruption - Jessica Shirvington
3. Nevernight - Jay Kristoff
4. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
5. A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir


Those last two books I haven't got my copies yet and I am praying that they come to me soon because they are two of most highly anticipated reads!!
I have been trying to keep my TBR short and then read whatever my mood wants me to read but I've already finished Disruption and I just REALLY want to read the others so... hopefully I'll get through them all :)

See you later!


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So... My last 'Favourites' was on my old blog and that was a while ago. I don't do a monthly favourites because I would need to spend a lot more money to make those posts worthwhile. However, over the past couple of months there have been a lot of new and different things that I've been loving.
Also, I like to include a whole bunch of favourites in this post and not just a particular theme. I hope you enjoy!


1. Kindle Paperwhite e-reader
I should have got one of these a long time ago, I love it. I never wanted one in the past, as I thought "No, I like books, real books". It wasn't until late last year when my older sister got one for Christmas and raved about it; that was when I saw the light. I asked for one for my birthday and immediately downloaded books onto it and got reading. The page looks like it has been torn from a book and stuck on a tablet, so you still have that 'real book' feeling. You can also adjust the lighting to suit you depending on where you are. You also have plenty of books all in one place; you might be a quick reader on holiday, or read different books depending on your mood. These Kindle's usually range between $150 - $180, and you should definitely pick up a case!


2. Marshmellow Eggs
I know Easter is well over, but chocolate never will be. I am obsessed with marshmallow chocolate, and it's really hard to find some decent ones around the stores - even during Easter time, which surprised me. My mum was just browsing Sam's Warehouse a week after Easter and found these Strawberry flavoured marshmallow eggs - delicious! I am on the hunt for more marshmallow chocolate (other than those snow drop things), so keep an eye out for me! These were about $1.50, but are an Easter item (I bought the rest on the shelf!)


3. Mimco Secret Couch Bag
This was actually my first Mimco item - which is kind of a big then as they are quite expensive. I am part of the Mimco loyalty club and received a $50 voucher as it was their 18th birthday, not long later I received another $30 voucher for my birthday, there I have $80! I went into one of their stores and picked up this super cute hip bag in the colour apricot (they have more colours). They usually sell for $199, but this one was on special for $120, and with an $80 voucher it was a complete bargain. Its genuine leather and feels lovely. It has two main zipped sections, with a more open but slightly sealed middle. It is quite small, so you'll have to ditch your wallet for a small purse with your essentials, but it's a perfect bag when you don't need or want to take all the usual items. You can purchase this item here.


4. Nerada Organic Tea
Specifically, Green Tea with Lemon Myrtle and Rooibos with Vanilla. I've been drinking this brand for quite a while but only recently became obsessed with these two flavours. The lemon one ain't no ordinary lemon green tea, I think it's the 'lemon myrtle' that makes it taste different and better! I find this tea to be refreshing and can drink it any time of the day.
The Rooibos and Vanilla is a lot more recent, I had only tasted rooibos for the first time a couple of months ago on a little lunch date with a friend. It's a black tea... and well, that's as far as I can explain it (I'm terrible), I saw this one whilst browsing for some tea and decided to give it a go. It helped that it was by a familiar brand and that it also had vanilla in it - yum! I usually like to drink it with some almond milk, but if I have no milk I don't mind drinking it on its own. I find this tea to be very calming and usually like to drink it in the night time, although sometimes I find myself drinking it any time of the day - especially when it's cold weather.


5. Mac - Pro Longwear Concealer
My first Mac product!!!!! How exciting! This was very spontaneous. It was raining and the nearest cover was Myer, so I went inside and passed the Mac stand and decided to have a look. I've heard many things from their concealers and was intrigued when they were right in front of me. I had someone find my right shade and try it on me. Then I bought it. This literally took less than five minutes. This concealer is in a little bottle with a pump - which I don't really like because I want to use less than it gives me. I don't wear too much foundation and this one suited me more than the concealers in the little pots (apparently). I got this because I'm really conscious about the darkness under my eyes and this helps cover it a lot, which makes me happy.


6. Maybelline - Colossal Volume Express Mascara
I don't have a 'one true love' mascara, not yet anyway. While I wear mascara almost every day, I don't wear a lot of it. The past two mascaras I had been using had weird brushes and got way too much product out and would make my eyelashes uneven and just look plain silly. I didn't purchase another mascara because I had only just started using these ones, but when I saw this mascara on sale for $9 (!!!) I decided to purchase it. The wand is nice and little (and not weirdly shaped), brings out the right amount of mascara for me and goes on nicely. I was incredibly excited when trying this as it was exactly what I wanted. I am still keen to try other mascaras but would definitely re-purchase this in the future if I don't find another competent one. If you like simple yet nice looking eyelashes without over doing it, definitely give this a go. It usually retails between $19 - $20, but if you look around you can usually snag a better deal.


7. Knits
I never used to be into knits whatsoever. I decided this autumn and winter I wanted to try out some different styles that I don't usually wear. The first one I purchased was actually a Batman one (yay!), and while the last size they had left was a large, I went with it. Not only did I love the design, I loved the way it felt and that was when I decided I liked knits. They are super comfy and honestly go with almost anything. Since then, I have purchased about three more but they are much more simple and fitted. The ones I have purchased have just been at Ally, Chicabooti, Target and Valleygirl, and have ranged between $15 - $40.

8. Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipsticks
I am yet to take the plunge and purchase a high end lipstick as I haven't decided what colour I would get, and also because I need to be saving money at the moment. A little while ago, I purchased these at Priceline as they had a 2-for-1 on Rimmel lipsticks at the time. I went with the colours 103 (pink) and 107 (deep red). Although they don't last too long, they are easy to apply and highly pigmented. Coming into winter, 107 is the perfect shade, but I love 103 as a general day to day lipstick as it's easy to apply and reapply. They retail for about $12.95 each and you can buy this item here.

9. Pump Up (App)
I am a bit weird with exercise and go through phases of what I like. In the last two months it has been running, then pilates (blogilates). While I'll definitely still love Blogilates, I have recently been loving the new Pump Up application, which I use on my iPhone. Once you sign up you can easily build a workout that caters to your level of fitness, location and what equipment you have or don't have. Your first option is to choose either Lose Weight, Get Toned, Build Muscle or Be Healthy; you can also focus on target areas. It records your time, calories burned (not sure how accurate it is) and targets reached. There is so much more I could tell you about this app, go check it out, especially if you're struggling with exercise and staying motivated. It's free and definitely available on the iPhone, I think it's available on android (not 100% certain) and Google Play.

10. Circa Home Vanilla Bean & Allspice Candle
While I really like scented candles, I don't go out and spend a whole bunch because I can't justify it when I need to be saving money. I was lucky enough to win this candle through 'Lean Cuisine' (random, I know). It came in incredibly nice packaging, has a cute wooden lid and has two wicks. Now, the smell... It is absolutely delicious. For those who don't like vanilla, or get sick of it after two minutes, I honestly think you would actually like this. The allspice mixed in makes it the perfect scent that you won't get sick of. I really like vanilla, but I like this waaaaaay better than vanilla on its own. The 250g candle retails for $29.95 and you can purchase this one or other scents from here.


So that is it for my current favourites, I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any extra questions on these items comment down below, or just let me know what you've been loving lately.
Until next time, take care!

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