I'm always looking for new books to read and I feel as though my 'to be read' pile is getting much larger as I discover new titles and authors almost every day. Out of all of these, there are definitely a few books that stand out to me as ones that I need to read, either because I've heard so much about them or because they appeal to my tastes. I thought that it might be interesting to share these books with you and hopefully, you'll enjoy seeing what titles I'm most anticipating to read in the near future.


Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - The Infernal Device series is a fusion of many different genres, being predominantly fantasy but also having some action, adventure, romance and mystery. This book, being the final part of the trilogy, will hopefully provide an epic conclusion to a story arc that I've absolutely fallen in love with and I've been eager to read it ever since finishing the previous book, Clockwork Prince. Set in Victorian London, this novel follows the lives of shadowhunters Will and Jem, alongside their warlock friend Tessa, as they uncover mysteries and secrets about their past. I've honestly fallen in love with the entire concept of it and I can't wait to read what is hopefully a perfect ending.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - It's been quite a while since I read a paranormal romance book, but lately I've been eager to read something like this. The Vampire Academy series is a very popular one and I've heard lots of amazing reviews of it, yet for some reason I've never got around to reading it. I was a huge fan of the Twilight series at the time of reading it and I also love the vampire elements of The Mortal Instruments series, so I can tell that this book will appeal to me and be something that I enjoy reading. I'm looking forward to returning to this previously beloved sub-genre and finally seeing if this novel is as great as what I've heard.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is this book, which is a contemporary novel featuring much deeper themes like mental illness and even death. It's not often that I read books that are incredibly emotional and moving, but I feel as though they can be really eye-opening and, alongside the incredible reviews that this has received, I know that I have to try it at some point. I'm definitely one to cry at an upsetting book, even if it's one that is barely sad like Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick, but I think that a novel like this will help me to grow as a reader and also broaden my horizons, rather than just sticking to fantasy and science fiction all the time.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - The Robert Langdon series was my first foray into adult fiction when I read The Da Vinci Code last year, and since then I've been eager to continue with this series. It featured quite a lot of genres that I don't often read but love nevertheless, such as historical fiction and crime-related mystery. I'm obsessed with books like these that are based around theories and conspiracies and I found the entirety of The Da Vinci Code to be incredibly gripping. Although I'm aware that Angels and Demons technically comes first in the series, I believe that they can be read out of order and so I'm highly anticipating reading this book in the future.

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston - This book is loosely based on A Thousand and One Nights, which is a classic story that many people have likely heard of. However, from what I've gathered, it's apparent that the author used this more of an inspiration to write this book and it therefore strays from the original story. This fantasy novel is said to be an incredibly thoughtful and dense book, meaning there will probably be an element of complexity to it that I always welcome. Also, from the synopsis I can tell that this is nothing alike any of the books that I've read before, so I'd love to try it and hopefully fall in love with this style.

These are just a few of the many books that I'm hoping to read in the future, but if you can think of any more to add to my list then I'd love to know. Make sure to leave any suggestions down in the comments, as I'd like to hear what books you enjoyed and want me to read. I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you again on Sunday with a new one!

Love from Daisy x
Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

The Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette is an iconic product that has been raved about by beauty bloggers and YouTubers alike. It's said to be a deeper, warmer version of their original Chocolate Bar Palette, and, needless to say, I've absolutely fallen in love with it. I've been wanting to try it for ages, and after receiving it for Christmas, I've been trialing it at any given opportunity. Now that I've been playing around with the eyeshadows for a few months, I thought I'd produce an in-depth and informed review for you, so I hope you like it! Make sure you keep reading until the end, as I'll also be sharing one of the looks that I created using this palette.

The packaging of this palette is super cute and it’s made to look like a chocolate bar, which is definitely unique and makes it stand out amongst the rest of my makeup. It’s incredibly girly and quirky, which definitely adds to the reasons why I love this product. The palette is sturdy and metal, with a magnetic closure that ensures that it doesn’t accidentally open and keeps the eyeshadows inside protected. The compact contains 16 different eyeshadows, with the two larger ones being 0.10 oz. each and the others being 0.03 oz. each. There is also a huge mirror, making it great for travel or applying your eyeshadow on-the-go. I particularly love how Too Faced included a mini pamphlet, entitled 'The Glamour Guide' that shares three different eye looks, as it’s a great way for beginners to see what eyeshadows will work well together and all of the recommended looks are beautiful.

Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

First of all, can I just say how delicious this palette smells? As soon as you open it, you receive a lingering smell of chocolate, which I absolutely love and is just another creative element of this palette. If you're not a big fan of scented makeup, however, don't let this be a problem as the eyeshadows are odourless once applied. Inside, there are sixteen beautiful eyeshadows, seven of which are matte and the other nine are shimmery. All of these are neutral, but there's definitely a lot of variety and possibilities for looks to create.

The Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette is described as being a "deeper, warmer version of the original, which I agree with to an extent as it contains some beautiful rich browns, caramels and bronzes. However, I'd also say that there are some really pretty cool-toned shadows, meaning that there's quite a lot of versatility in this palette. There are also some more daring and unexpected shades, such as a glittery pastel pink and a vibrant blue. As there are such a variety of shades, I feel as though this palette would be perfect for travelling with and you'd be pretty much sorted for any look.

Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

I'll now give you a breakdown of the eyeshadows in the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette, describing what each colour is like.

Hot Fudge - a rich, dark brown with a hint of grey and a frosted finish
Truffled - rich, medium brown with warm undertones and a satin finish
Nougat - muted, matte mink  with warm undertones
Coconut Crème - pale, cream shade with a slight yellow undertone
Licorice - matte black with a subtle warm undertone
Frosting - warm, bronzy brown with a frosted, slightly gold sheen to it
Peanut Butter - medium toned orangey tan shade
Blueberry Swirl - a muted dark blue with a hint of indigo shimmer and a frosted finish
Puddin' - a deep ashy brown with a matte finish
Pink Sugar - a pale, pastel pink with a layer of iridescent shimmer - almost glitter
Cocoa Chili - a medium-toned brown with warm undertones and a slight gold sparkle
Butter Pecan - a light, frosted gold with a slight peach tone to it
Bon Bon - medium copper with a shimmery, metallic finish
Caramel - bright, golden copper with slight orange undertones
Mousse - matte light chocolate brown with warm undertones
Rum Raisin - muted, dark taupe with a metallic finish

I found that all of the eyeshadows within this palette were intensely pigmented and looked lovely once applied. The only one that didn't have as much pigment to it was 'pink sugar', but I think that this still looks lovely as an eyeshadow topper to add some sparkle to the eye. In the terms of formula, all of the eyeshadows were very buttery and creamy to touch, showing that they're of a high quality. The longevity is also amazing and I find that these eyeshadows last for a really long time once they've been applied. Congratulations Too Faced, you've done a brilliant job!

Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

To give you a proper look at what the eyeshadows from the Semi-Sweet Palette are like, I decided to recreate one of the looks in the 'Glamour Guide' that Too Faced has provided. The eyeshadows that I used are Coconut Creme across the lid and up to the brow bone, Rum Raisin on the inner third of the eye and inner lower lash line, Puddin' on the outer V and on the outer lower lashline, and finally, Pink Sugar dabbed on the centre of the eye. I really like how this turned out and I feel as though this is just one of the many looks you could create with this palette.

Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

Overall, I'm incredibly pleased with the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette and I've absolutely loved using it. I think that it has the perfect mixture of eyeshadows that enables you to create a variety of gorgeous looks. Furthermore, they all have a beautiful formula and pigment, making them easy to work with and long lasting throughout the day. If you haven't already, I'd definitely urge you to try out this palette and hopefully you'll love it as much as I do!

Thanks for reading this review and I hope you enjoyed it! I worked really hard putting this post together, so I'd love to know what you think of it down in the comments. I'll see you again on Sunday with a new post, so bye for now!

Love from Daisy x

When I was thinking about what to post today, I realised that it's been a long time since I last did a monthly favourites post. Although I often have quite a few things to mention, there's never enough to fill a whole post, so I usually don't write them. However, I have quite a lot of beauty products, books and othe random favourites that I've been loving for the duration of this winter, so I thought you'd like to hear what they are!

B E A U T Y

My first beauty favourite is the Too Faced Love Flush Blusher in the shade 'Love Hangover', which I've been using virtually everyday this winter. It's a medium-toned rosy pink colour that is perfect for creating a look that isn't too bold yet still noticeable. It's incredibly pigmented but it still blends out really nicely. I've especially admired how the powder feels creamy and soft to apply and I've loved using this product over the past few months.

My next favourite beauty product is also from Too Faced, which really shows how much I've been loving their makeup at the moment. The Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette has been raved about by beauty bloggers and Youtubers, and after trying it I 100% agree with the hype. Each eyeshadow is fine-milled and incredibly creamy, applying with a great amount of pigment. All of the colours are beautiful and I've definitely enjoyed experimenting with these beautiful eyeshadows.

After being sent the Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette, I've been using it quite a lot and really loving it! Although all of the powders are delightful, my favourite has been the banana powder, which has is perfect for setting under-eye concealer. I find that this helps to maintain my makeup and it lasts all day without creasing when I use this. I also love the assortment of bronzers and find that they're perfect for adding some warmth to my skin.

With winter comes dry lips and so I've been on the hunt for the perfect lipbalm that helps to ease the flakiness. I've returned to an old favourite of mine, which is an Eos Lipbalm, but this winter I've really been enjoying the mint one. I find that these lip balms are some of the best at soothing my lips and making them feel softer, so I've definitely been using this product a lot over the past few months.

B O O K S

My favourite books this winter have been Cassandra Clare books in general, particularly Clockwork Prince. As she's hands down my favourite author, I look forward to reading her books and this one definitely lived up to my expectations - maybe even being one of my favourites. For those of you who don't know, this book, which is the second in the Infernal Devices series, is set in Victorian London. Like Cassandra's other books, it revolves around shadowhunters and many other mytical creatures, such as demons, werewolves, vampires and warlocks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it definitely left me surprised in many places. I also love how we got to know the characters more and I felt as though I really connected with them in this novel.

L I F E
Over the past few months, I've been drinking a lot of herbal teas, which is something I thought I wouldn't like but I actually have! I've enjoyed having these throughout the winter and it has been fun to experiment with some new flavours. Growing up, I hated the taste of green tea and hadn't tried any other flavours, but over the past few months I've been drinking them almost every night. Some of my favourites have been green tea with jasmine, and berry, but I've also got some others that I want to try, such as lemon and ginger or raspberry and echinacea.

One of my new year's resolutions for 2016 was to have a healthier lifestyle, and I've started working towards this by doing yoga. This is something that I've always wanted to do but never got around to it, that is until this year. Yoga is great for targeting many different areas, whether it's flexibility, strength or relaxation. I've been thoroughly enjoyed this new hobby and I've definitely seen some benefits, even after doing it for only a few months.

I hope you liked hearing about some of my current favourites and if you want more posts similar to this then make sure to let me know, as I'd be more than happy to do them for you. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next Sunday with a new blog post!

Love from Daisy x

A post that I've seen floating around various different book blogs and Youtube channels lately is the 'Bookish Facts About Me' tag. Essentially, I'll share with you some random, reading-related facts that you might find interesting or surprising. I thought that this was a great way to share my love of books and talk about some things that I don't often get the chance to, as well as allowing my readers to learn more about me. I'd also love to hear some facts about you, so I encourage you to leave some bookish facts about yourself down in the comments, or maybe even link me to your own blog post!
  1. My favourite place to read is in bed and I do the majority of my reading before I go to sleep. 
  2. However, if I'm thoroughly enjoying a book, I will read it at any available moment.
  3. I tend to read the most books in a short space of time when I'm on holiday, and I usually take six fairly large books with me when going on holiday for 3 weeks, yet I inevitably finish them all before the end of the holiday.
  4. One of my favourite moments was meeting Cassandra Clare and Holly Black when I attended the Iron Trial signing back in 2014. I got two books signed, listened as they answered questions in a live Q&A session and simply had an overall amazing evening.
            
  5. My favourite genres to read are fantasy and science fiction, but I've recently been branching out and trying some contemporary novels too, which I've actually been enjoying.
  6. I go through phases of reading lots of books and barely reading at all, but even then I still probably read more books than the average person.
  7. I love reading and reviewing unknown or underrated books as I feel like it helps people to discover new titles and support some lesser known authors. Plus, there are some real hidden gems out there and I hope that I can help people find them.
  8. I'm usually quite bad when it comes to predicting plot twists and even the most obvious of reveals will leave me surprised, but the books that have left me the most shocked are probably City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick.
  9. I can never find the time to re-read any books, despite wanting to experience them again, as I enjoy trying new titles and discovering new authors.
  10. There are many mainstream books that I haven't read, such as the Harry Potter books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay from the Hunger Games trilogy and many more.
  11. I've always loved reading and, ever since I was little, books have been a huge passion of mine
  12. My favourite book-related posts to write are reviews, as I love exploring the books in more detail and analysing them. I also feel as though they really help people to make the decision of whether they want to read something or not and it's great to know that your opinion is influential.
  13. I'm really bad at completing book series', and quite often I'll really want to know what happens next in a story arc but never find the time to read the sequels.
  14. The longest book I've ever read is City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, which is 733 pages long. However, it was definitely worth reading and I enjoyed every moment of it, especially since it was the perfect way to conclude the Mortal Instruments series.
  15. When I was a pre-teen, most of the books that I read were contemporary, despite rarely picking up that genre now. Some of my favourites included those from Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy.
  16. It was the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer that got me into reading YA novels and this is still one of my favourite series to date, as I both love the concept of it and appreciate how it opened me up to so many other amazing books.
  17. When I was younger, I used to make lots of bookmarks for myself and my family like a mini-business.
  18. I'm always on the hunt for bargains when it comes to books, with my best discovery being a brand new hardcover version of Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick for only £1 instead of £10.
  19. When I was a child, I obsessively read Enid Blyton's books and they were definitely my favourite stories to read, especially the Secret Seven, the Naughtiest Girl and Malory Towers.
  20. Most of the books that I read are from the library, as it allows me to get free novels and it means that I can try out titles that I wouldn't have otherwise read.
I hope you enjoyed hearing these facts about me and remember that I'd love to hear some of yours! Thanks for reading this post and I really hope that you enjoyed it. I'll be back next week with a new one, so I'll see you then!

Love from Daisy x