My Birthday!

Last Friday (22nd November) it was my 17th Birthday (yay!). These past couple of days I have been thinking how fast your childhood goes and how next year I will be an adult, which is a pretty scary thought. Which has lead me to thinking how I really need to appreciate my last year of childhood as your an adult for the rest of your life.
Anyway, on a lighter note I am going to share with you a few of the gifts I received for my birthday!

Noughts and Crosses

A few weeks ago a family member recommended I read a book called "Noughts and Crosses" by Malorie Blackman. So I though why not and went and bought it at my local supermarket, and I can tell you now that it was one of the best decisions. I can honestly say it is one of the most interesting, exciting books I have read, Malorie Blackman has taken a serious and difficult issue and explained it in a way everyone would understand. As a fan of fantasy immortal genre books (Vampire Diaries, Twilight, True Blood) I never seem to know what other books to read so this was a great opportunity to read something different.

It took me about a week to read "Noughts and Crosses" as its quite a thick book but it is well worth the time. Noughts and Crosses is set around two teenagers Persephone a cross (dark skin) and Callum a nought (light skin), who's relationship is frowned upon in the society they live in. Persephone (Stephy) is the daughter of a wealthy politician whereas, Callum is the son of a Nanny. Noughts are not allowed to go to the same schools as crosses however, when Callum and a few other noughts get into Heathcroft high they face a lot of discrimination because of the colour of their skin.
If you get the chance to read this book I would highly recommend it, Noughts and crosses is the first book of a quadrilogy.

Noughts and crosses series by Malorie Blackman £18.17 (for the book set on Amazon) 

Another book that I have also read recently as part of my wider reading for English Literature is The Help. It deals with similar issues as Noughts and Crosses, and the difficulties that some people faced in the society that they lived in. These types of books really get you thinking about the world we live in and are also quite a challenging read.
Currently I am reading a book called The colour purple which I am finding quite interesting, it is an epistolary novel (written in letter form) and is based around women living in America and the troubles they face in when married.

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker £4.60

The Help by Kathryn Stockett £4.60

I hope you enjoyed a preview on what I have been reading recently and I hope that you may give these books a try as they are defiantly worth it.

Daily skincare routine

As the nights are getting darker and the weather is getting colder I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you my daily skincare routine to keep my skin in good condition. Keeping your skin healthy at this time of year is important as the cold weather can cause it to become dry. Here are a few of the products I use to keep my skin healthy, that do not cost a fortune!

To remove all make-up I tend to use either a make up wipe or the Freederm cleanser that not only removes make-up but also moisturises your face. I tend to use this as I find that make up wipes affect my eyes, so if you also get this trouble a cleanser is a better option.

Freederm cleanser £8.99

 Most of the time I do not bother to use toner but you could also use a toner which removes excess dirt, oil, etc that your cleanser left behind. 

First of all I use the Garnier pure active exfo-brusher wash. This face wash has a soft brush or applicator on the end to help get rid of any make-up that has not been removed already.

Garnier pure active exfo-brusher wash- £7.99

Finally, if I am not applying any toner I use a face cream to keep my skin hydrated, this also keeps it soft and looking nice. I have tried out a few face moisturisers and have found that they all seem to work pretty well, so here are two of my favourites.

No7 Beautiful skin radiance exfoliator for normal/dry skin £8.00 

Nivea Daily essentials light moisturising day cream for normal to combination skin £3.99

I tend to use face creams that are for normal skin as my skin is not very dry or oily but you can also get these creams for oily or dry skin.

I hope these small tips will help you keep your skin healthy and looking its best throughout these cold winter months.

 P.S. Sorry I haven't been posting much recently, I am trying to now post every Friday!