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The big day is fast approaching and so is the final day for deliveries! This will be my last gift guide on the blog for this year, but keep an eye out on my Youtube channel this Friday for a last-minute/stocking filler gift guide.
For this last guide, we're tackling the beauty lovers in your life! There is always an abundance of beauty gift sets available at this time of year, so much so that there is sometimes too much choice!
I've put together a little collection of some of my favourites from some of my favourite beauty companies, as well as some great sustainable options too.
Tuck into these other gift guides afterwards:
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Up next in my gift guides we have ideas for mums & grandmas! You could also use this for other female members of your family like aunts and mothers-in-law, but I also have a friends and sisters guide coming your way next week so keep an eye out for that.
For this category, I always like to spoil mum at this time of year, and so some of these gifts might be slightly more on the pricey side, but there are also some great budget options too for under £20.
Take a look at my other gift guides:
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Moving onto my next gift guide: one for the bookworm in your life!
As a bookworm myself, I never tire of receiving books as gifts, especially as I love a huge variety of genres, and appreciate the fact that someone has looked at a book and thought "Georgie would like that."
Here is my pick of books that I'm sure one of your loved ones would love, with some great options to support your local book shop this year.
Take a look at some of my other gift guides from this year:
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It's the most wonderful time of the year...
Christmas is coming and, you guessed it, it's Christmas gift guide time!! I always get so excited each year when I start to plan my gift guides, as I love treating my loved ones and finding gifts is almost like a hobby for me!
This year, it was really important to me to focus on products from sustainable & independent businesses as well as from some of the bigger brands we know and love.
So, to kick off gift guide season, I'm bringing you some amazing picks from some incredible small businesses. This year, I think we have all realised how precious our small independent businesses are and want to support them as much as possible, so it only felt right to dedicate a whole gift guide to them, especially with Small Business Saturday coming up this Saturday!
There are also a lot of organisations trying to spread the love for small businesses, like Just A Card who are in their fourth year of their Indie Week where they try and spread the word about shopping local for Christmas as an independent alternative to Black Friday.
So, here are my picks of some of the small businesses that I know and love, and that you should be taking a look at too. Also, keep an eye out for a little giveaway at the end of this post...
Take a look at some of my other gift guides:
There are some days that I'm so rushed off my feet that I just don't have time to eat. Those days make me very sad, firstly because I LOVE FOOD, but also because I know it isn't healthy for my body.
I promise you that these type of days don't happen too often, but when they do, I can get so craggy and tired and that really affects my work.
When I know that I have one of those days coming up, then I've started reaching for these energy cookies. The great thing about these is that they give you a burst of energy when you most need it thanks to the bananas and oats, as well as also keeping you fuller for longer.
Ohhhh this has taken me a long while to figure out. Back when I started blogging in 2013, having a job as a content creator was practically unheard of, and even though it is still very much a hobby for me (which I still absolutely love), I didn't use to do as much planning or admin as I do now.
When I first started my blog, I would post as and when I wanted to, creating whatever I wanted to (remember the days of outfit posts where you just talked about the outfit), but fast forward 7 years and I've finally found a creative balance that fits around teaching 5 days a week as well as around any acting I may get.
This is mainly down to one thing only...
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The wardrobe changeover every season always fills me with so much joy! Is it the fact that I use it as an excuse to treat myself to a few new wardrobe additions, or is it the fact that the organisational freak in me gets to plan my seasonal capsule (ish) wardrobes again? That's a secret I'll never tell...xoxo Gossip Girl.
I just love planning my wardrobes, and one thing that always intrigues me is to see what styles have come back around again from times past.
Nowadays, it's very rare that a style is brand sparkling new, mainly because a lot of the trends have been done before, and are just having a reboot. When I was planning my wardrobe for this autumn, there were a few trends that caught my eye that left me with a sense of deja vu, especially as I had some very similar vintage pieces hanging in my wardrobe.
So let's have a peek at some of the autumn trends that have already had a moment in the past, and that you'll be able to shop on the high street and in charity shops. I'll be leaving some new and second-hand options under each section so you can shop to your heart's content!
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One of the positives of lockdown is that I ended up filling a lot of my time with reading. Reading has always been an escape for me and definitely helps take my mind off of things for a while (like, I don't know, pandemics and the like).
I covered what I read in the first half of lockdown in this post, but as the months turned warmer, the reading didn't let up, especially as I ended up taking my books outside with me into the garden.
Over this summer, I found I was reaching for a few YA books, as well as discovering some new authors who I'm now completely and utterly in love with (looking at you Madeline Miller). So cheers to a great summer of reading, and without further ado, here's what I read this summer.
I do love a bit of a throwback, and especially find looking back at how far you have come can be a great learning process, even when it comes to your style.
Over the years my style has inevitably been influenced by the blogosphere, especially when it comes to certain trends, as well as becoming more confident in my own dress code.
But how much has it changed over the past 10 years, from when I was 15? Your teen and young adult years can be some of the most diverse in your life, so let's see how much it changed my style...
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Periods are never fun, especially when you want to work out. This sort of scenario normally plays out in my head when I want to work out on my period:
I want to wear my cute light-coloured leggings...but what if I have an accident? Okay fine, let's go for the dark pair then. But now what to wear, pad or tampon? If I wear a pad, it might show at the back...but if I wear a tampon, what happens if I get leakage?
On top of that, I'm trying my best to make my period as eco-friendly as possible and so with the fact that I'm still scared of menstrual cups, I've been sticking to organic and biodegradable pads and tampons.
I have also been starting to look into reusable underwear, which seems like a great option but it's still all very new to me. So when I was approached by Modibodi, a brand who makes reusable underwear, and they asked if I would like to try out their new leakproof workout shorts, I jumped at the chance! Did the shorts live up to the leakproof label put on them? Let's find out...
After posting pictures of these mojitos on my Instagram stories, I got so many messages asking for the recipe. And to be honest, I can't blame those people, as these are delicious!
Fresh, minty and sweet, they make the perfect summer cocktail, especially if you're still a bit nervous about going out to a pub or bar just yet.
The best part about this recipe is that it takes no time at all to make up, and you don't need a load of complicated, expensive ingredients to make it either. Plus the strawberries give the classic mojito a fruity update that will keep you coming back to this recipe time and time again (as spoken from someone who has done this herself).
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Changing up my makeup bag when the season's change has become part of my routine, just like changing over my seasonal clothes.
In the summer, I find myself reaching for more tinted moisturisers than foundations, light powders, and warmer colour tones in my lipsticks, blushes and eyeshadows.
Regardless of what I have in my makeup bag, there are always some essentials that make their way in during the summer months, and I use them every day in some shape or form. They have become my summer beauty companions, and I can easily create a whole makeup look just from using these products!
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At the start of lockdown, the blogging and content creator world seemed to take on that GIF of a confused looking John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Everyone was confined to their four walls and whatever outside space they had, and the opportunities that everyone had for creating content, from going out bulk shooting with their photographer to getting your family, friends or our other halves to take a cute photo of you while out and about completely dried up.
It seemed in particular to hit those who focused on fashion the most. Those perfectly coordinated Instagram feeds editorial style blog posts and beautifully shot videos were left hanging in the balance.
Now I'm by no means saying that this is the worst thing to happen due to COVID. The deaths, anxiety about the future, unemployment and hit to the economy have been truly awful. But during a time of such extreme sadness and worry, it was positive to notice how everyone started to adapt to our new way of life. It showed strength in carrying on, even if it was something so small as outfit photos!
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As you can imagine with sensitive skin, finding products that actually work without turning your face to molten lava (in texture, colour, and hot itchiness) isn't a walk in the park. I've been through many a product that has set my face on fire, so when I find something my skin really loves, I stick to it.
On the run-up to Mother's Day, Lush sent me a box of their limited edition goodies to treat your mum (or yourself), and I fell in love with a cleansing bar called Baby's Bum. I had honestly never come across anything quite like it!
I applied it straight to my face, and the oily consistency melted into my skin beautifully, removing my makeup while giving it the moisture hit it craves. And the joy of all joys, it didn't flare up my skin!
So when I came to write about it and discovered that it was limited edition, and I couldn't allow you guys to get your hands on it too, I popped Lush an email and cried for their help in finding a substitute that would fill Baby's Bum shaped hole in my heart.
Always as helpful as ever (which you'll know if you've been to their stores, they have such ace customer service), they sent me a list and very kindly sent me a few to try out.
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I'll be honest: I'm incredibly lazy when it comes to tanning. This has mainly extended out of years of being completely fazed by tanning mousses, with the fear of ending up looking like I'd been rolling in mud rather than having a golden glow. I always saw mousses as unforgiving if you got them wrong, a faff to apply (especially having to wash it off the day after) and inconvenient for the fact that you couldn't get dressed and go straight away.
Then tanning waters and gradual tans came into my life, and I haven't looked at a mousse bottle since.
Tanning waters are the ultimate lazy girl tanning product as you can apply without having to wait to get dressed or worry about it transferring onto clothes and bedsheets. You can also correct any mistakes that start to emerge as the tan develops by adding more water as it blends really naturally.
But there are also some other fantastic products out there that also deserve some recognition, so here's my guide to tanning for lazy girls.
The baking in my household is well underway during the lockdown, and I've been documenting what I've been baking so that I can share them with you on here! I always find that sweet treats make me feel better (when eaten in moderation obvs) and by baking my own it means I know exactly what's going into them.
Today I have a chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe for you! I used to be allergic to peanuts, but I'm honestly so happy I grew out of it as I now love snacking on peanuts and peanut butter as long as I don't overload myself.
Like my chocolate and banana bread recipe, this is nice and easy, but the results are absolutely fantastic!
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Podcasts have taken over the online world by storm, and by now most people include them in one of their favourite pastimes. You can listen while doing pretty much anything - I like to consume mine in the bath, while commuting, in the car and also while I do household chores.
When I'm listening to podcasts, they make the time fly by (not so good when you're in the bath, you are in danger of turning into a prune), and also help me to get completely lost in them and forget about my everyday worries for a while.
After a few years of being podcast obsessed, I thought it high time that I put together my own little list of my favourite podcasts. You may have heard of them, while some may be new discoveries for you, but I hope you find one that you love as much as I do! I've split them up into categories so you can really see how wide-ranging my taste is!
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Everyone has a handful of favourite beauty products that have made their way to holy-grail status, the products that are on a repeat buy and that have earned their place in our beauty cupboards.
In times of trouble, these are the products we reach for that we know we can rely on to do the job without letting us down.
It's even better when these products don't cost the earth, and as much as I'm a lover of more luxury products that do the job, I also have some favourites that are more budget-friendly.
After spending many of my younger years scouring the high street pharmacies, I've managed to put together a list of my all-time favourite budget skincare, makeup, body care and hair care that I turn back to time and time again. Some are old faves, some are new, but the beauty of them all is that they all cost under £20.
It seems like everyone and their dog is baking banana bread at the moment. "But why?!" I hear you cry! Is it because everyone stock-piled bananas and now they're stuck with loads that are too ripe to eat? Who knows, but I can tell you that it's one of the easiest cake loaf recipes for anyone to have in their repertoire.
I unknowingly jumped on the bandwagon a couple of months ago before the lockdown, when I was going through my recipes and highlighting the ones I wanted to make. This one caught my eye, and as I hadn't made this old favourite in a long while, I added it to the list to make.
So now, here I am: finally getting around to making it but I'm also joined by everyone else who seems to be making it too!
As I'm a chocoholic, mine obviously is a banana chocolate infusion, but as this is an easy recipe you can also add anything you want to it. Happy baking!
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I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we're all looking for a little distraction and escapism from what's going on in the world right now.
One of the main ways I like escape without actually having to leave the house is through reading, and I've been reading plenty of 5-star books recently that I think will also help you lose yourself for a while.
Take a peek below for my choices of some of the best books that had me looking up a few hours later realising I'd kept reading through my lunch break (good job I work from home).
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If you ever felt like you needed an excuse to pamper yourself, now couldn't be a better time. We're all a bit stressed out, and some of us have a lot more time on our hands, so now's the time to crack out those bath bombs you've been meaning to use, and the products that have been sitting on your bathroom shelves long forgotten.
One of my favourite pastimes is sitting in the bath listening to a podcast, which means I own my fair share of bath time pampering goodies. Here, I've rounded up some of my favourite products to use as well as some newbies I'm trying out.
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I had a really long think over the past week as to what to post on this blog. Without mentioning the C-word too much, the coronavirus has changed the way we live our lives drastically, and that in turn has affected what sort of content I'm producing.
Of course, I want to try and keep a sense of normality with my content, even if it becomes a form of escapism, but there are certain things that will have to change.
So before we get started in this post, I want to turn the question to you. What do you want to see? I want to keep posting about travel as well as beauty, fashion and lifestyle, but this seems like a much more difficult genre to adapt than the others. Do you want to still travel guides even though we can't travel? Or would you prefer to see travel content more tailored to our current way of life?
Today's post was supposed to be about the travel mistakes I've made, but at the moment I can't ignore the travel restrictions we're currently under, so I've written from my gut. We may not be able to go anywhere (apart from the food shops) but we can still satisfy our wanderlust temporarily from the confines of our own home.
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This time of year is one of my favourites: the days are finally getting more warm and sunny, the flowers are starting to show themselves, and it seems to be as much a time for giving as Christmas is due to all the gifting days!
We can put a big tick next to Valentine's Day, and before we know it it'll be Easter and Father's Day, but for now, it's time to focus on giving back to our wonderful mums.
If you're looking for some ideas for what to gift your mum this Sunday, then take a peek at the options I have below for you - the majority are beauty related, but I also have a couple of book offerings too (as well as an exciting book giveaway).
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I've always suffered from sensitive skin, so over the years, I've got to know what my skin does and doesn't like. It definitely used to be a bit more relaxed than it is now, but if it means I have happy skin if I check the ingredients labels of products I'm looking at buying, then so be it!
Everyone's skin is completely different, and there have been products in the past that I've tried that was supposedly okay for sensitive skin, and yet I've ended up with a face full of eczema. So when you're doing your research into products, try and get a mini and always do a patch test before you invest in a product.
These are the skincare steps and products I'm currently using that have really been keeping my skin happy, but they may not work for you as they did for me so don't take my word as the law. Hopefully, however, you may find some amazing new products that your skin will love too!
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Over the last few years, as the sustainable movement has been on the rise, there has been more and more talk about sustainable travel. People are now looking at every aspect of their lives and thinking about how they can be kinder to the planet, and one of the hardest areas to do that is travel.
As I was growing up, money wasn't always around for spending on holidays abroad, and from about the age of 12 or 13 onwards we stopped going on family holidays as the purse strings tightened. I wouldn't change my upbringing for the world as it really made me appreciate money when it was there and when I started earning myself, but I did miss out on travelling when I was younger.
So when it came to thinking about sustainable travel, I knew I didn't want to give exploring new countries abroad completely, as that is something I'm passionate about now I have the funds to go places.
What exactly is sustainable travel, and how am I introducing it into my holidays and trips? Keep reading to find out...
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Valentine's and Galentine's Day can always be a tricky holiday to buy for if you're celebrating it, as there's always so much out there to choose from. Also if you're trying to stick to more sustainable presents, it can be hard to scout them out among all the other ones that aren't so eco.
As I'm on my own journey to becoming more sustainable, I decided to put together a list of presents perfect for the woman in your life that get the eco-friendly tick from me! Whether you're looking for a beauty fave of hers, something to add to her home, a wonderful new fragrance to spoil her with, or looking to spoil yourself, here are my Valentine's Day gift ideas.
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One of my mini New Years Resolutions this year along with my big ones was to do more baking and cooking as I'd done hardly any last year. I find it so therapeutic so I was determined to get back into the routine of doing it more regularly. I used to do recipes on this blog, and I'm hoping that by being more motivated to do more recipe posts, I'll get back into cooking and baking more.
It seemed like perfect timing when an email landed in my inbox from Schwartz, a brand whose seasonings I've used a lot of in the past in my dishes, asking if I wanted to work with them. I'm super excited to be working with a brand my family have loved for years, and it got my creative juices flowing when I sat down to figure out how to use their Classic BBQ Seasoning in a recipe.
You can obviously use Schwartz's seasonings to marinate meats like chicken or pork, but as I'm not the world's biggest meat eater, I wanted to try something a bit different.
I'm a huge fan of making your own sauces and dips to reduce the amount of packaging you buy from shop-bought ones, as well as experimenting with different herbs and spices in them, so I thought I'd take the classic tomato ketchup, and spice it up a bit!
Keep on reading for my easy homemade BBQ ketchup recipe!
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During the winter, my skin has multiple personalities. One day it can be ultra-dry, the next it can just look plain dull. I also have the odd occasion where I get a small breakout of spots on areas like my chest and arms, so when it comes to body moisturisers I have to have a few to hand depending on what my skin is up to!
Over the last few years, I have managed to round up some of my all-time favourites, some that I've been using for yearrssss and some that have been recent discoveries, that are now my support team to any skin issues I'm having.
One thing that you can say about Asia is that there is always a place of interest around the corner, and that couldn't be truer for Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.
From the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge to temples, to rooftop bars and museums, this city has plenty to offer any visitor.
Here are my top 5 things to do while you're in Phnom Penh.
It's that time again, where a lot of us find ourselves looking back over the past year (or decade if you like a realll throwback) to see how we actually got on. I definitely don't put pressure on myself if the year wasn't that great like I talked about in last year's reflection post, as I find it so lovely to look back on all the amazing memories I've made. But I also find it useful when I'm putting together my goals for the coming year to see where I excelled, and where I fell a bit short.
2019 was definitely a year of ups and downs, but still a great one all the same. I'd just like to take this moment to thank you all who have continued to come back to this blog to have a good nosy around and see what I'm up to. This online community is such a special one, and I'm so happy I decided to set this blog up 6 and a half years ago.
With all that said, here's why 2019 was great, what I learnt and my goals for 2020...
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