Getting to Know You (or should I say me?!)

Spur of the moment blog post!!!

Okay so I wanted to do a blog post, and there are a lot I want to get done, but I have no pictures ready!! #BloggerProblems so I thought I would share some things with you about myself because it might be quite nice for you to know more about the girl behind the blogs! So here are 40 facts about me! (I would have done fifty but I'm not that interesting!)

Also I have had a couple of requests to put something more manly into my blogs so here is a picture of James Bond (s) ;)

1. My middle name is Kimberley (but you probably guessed that from my instagram name)

2. I'm 22 (but 23 in February) 

3. I have a little brother. Or a little bother as I like to call him!

4. I live by the sea in a town called Hornsea!

5. I'm a Yorkshire girl.

6. I have a pet rabbit called Hop who I adore!

7. I have a degree in Theatre! 

8. I love Disney....Like LOVE Disney!

9. My favourite type of food is Italian.

10. I love to bake. (Even though I haven't done it in aaaagggeeesss)

11. My dream job is to be a drama therapist specialising in prison rehabilitation or a Disney Princess.

12. My favourite season is Winter.

13. Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year... (In my opinion)

14. I do not like spicy food. My tongue is just far too sensitive!

15. I really X10000000000 love Harry Potter.

16. Weirdly I love country music and would really love to go to a barn dance ( I know it's strange)

17. Jessica Lawrence is my hero <3

18. I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer so, naturally, my childhood ambition was to be a vampire slayer!

19. The first school show I ever did was High School Musical. Go Wildcats!

20. The first youtuber I ever subscribed too was Kingsley and the first beauty youtuber I subscribed too was InTheFrow ( I will leave links to their channels and the bottom)

21. I have a really massive phobia of bees and wasps.

22. My current favourite film is Bridget Jones but my all time favourite is While You Were Sleeping!

23. Galaxy counters are my favourite chocolates.

24. I really really want a pug. A little black one and I will call him Pudge! (But you can't feed Pudge tuna!)

25. Kate Middleton, Audrey Hepburn and Keira Knightley are some of the top people that inspire me, in all ways.

26. Rupert Grint and Chris Hemsworth are my celeb crushes, they're beautiful!

27. Dumbo is my favourite Disney character.

28. Daisies are my favourite flowers.

29. I'm an Aquarius which means I'm innovative, independent, faithful, intelligent and idealistic (that's according to something I found on google)

30. Tea is my favourite drink. I'm so British.

31. I don't drink fizzy drinks, unless it's alcoholic!!

32. I refer to baby penguins as mumble happy feets.

33. I dislocated both of my knees a few hours before my year 11 prom but I still went! (I just had to wear sparkly converse, pyjama bottoms and splints on both legs under my dress and I was on crutches)

34. I don't like chocolate milk, hot chocolate or chocolate ice cream. But I do like white hot chocolate, thank you Costa!

35. My favourite book is Mr Darcy Vampire.

36. The only thing that I am knowingly allergic too is Johnson's baby shampoo.

37. Instagram is my favourite form of social media.

38. People I have seen live include: Steps, Gareth Gates, Will Young, Girls Aloud, Beyonce, Olly Murs, Rita Ora, Hilary Duff, JLS and Mcfly!

39. Marc Jacobs perfumes are my favourites!

40. My favourite Harry Potter film/s are the first one and the last one!

Well I hope that you found that interesting and maybe this has inspired you to try and make a list of facts about yourself!

Kingsley Youtube Channel ---> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-vSh8UCm0tFaLYAIXqqKLA

InTheFrow Youtube Channel ---> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyxZB7SqkRFqij18X1rDYHQ

Find me on social media!

Instagram @annakimberley93

Twitter  @annarailton1993

#ChristmasBookClub The Christmas Party

Firstly I would just like to apologise that this blog post is so so late! I finished the book a week ago and the review was due for the weekend but I am only human and life happens but I am very sorry if you have been sat waiting to see my thoughts on The Christmas Party and patiently waiting to see which book is next.

If you are new, welcome! I will give you a little briefing on what is happening here at Essence of Anna. A week ago I decided to start up an online christmas book club which you can join in on social media using the hashtags #ChristmasBookClub and #EssenceofAnna - you can also tag me, my social media tags are at the bottom of the post. For further details (on all the books you'll need etc, just scroll to the post below the Pink Parcel one)

WARNING!!!!! There are spoilers ahead, so if you haven't read the book or finished it yet and don't want it spoiling think carefully about reading any further!

So what did I think about the Christmas Party..... I loved it.

Okay, so the story follows the events that unfold at the Fossil Oil Christmas party. There are four characters in particular that it follows, those characters are Louise, Tyler, Kirsten and Melissa.

There individual plots throughout the Christmas party alternate between small chapters, Louise's are written in first person, everybody else is in third. Now this was something that I didn't really understand but I liked. I liked that the chapters were small and that you never knew who you were going to get next. It all links though, which is great.  Tyler is Louise's, hands on, in the literal sense, boss. Kirsten is Tyler's wife and Melissa is the wife of Tyler's boss Lance, but she has actually been having an afair with Tyler!!!!

Okay, so lets talk characters and in particular, the leading ladies.

I loved all three women, in very different ways. I think this was because I could relate/empathize with them all on different levels, mainly Louise though, so let's start with her.

Okay, Louise, I guess you could say, or it least in my opinion, is the focal point of the book.She's new to the company, it's her first Christmas party, she has a young daughter and lives at home with her parents after the father of her child left and also left her in massive debt. She speaks frequently about feeling like she is imposing on her parents and she feels bad that they have to look after her daughter so much but that they have been so great and supportive etc. She's very cautious about moving forward when it comes to love, who isn't? Of course though, there is a man, right there under her nose, Josh Wallace! He is literally perfect ladies, written up as the perfect gentleman, as a reader I instantly fell in love with him and was rooting for the pair --- so I was very happy with the Christmas day ending, them all together! (If only that happened in real life!)

Then, we have Kirsten, I have never felt more sorry for a fictional character in my life. The wife of Tyler (for 10 years it is I think) she has spent most of this marriage being on the sidelines, moving place to place, watching as Tyler climbs the corporate ladder. Due to moving around a lot the poor woman has no friends and she's spent the last year, maybe longer, knowing that Tyler cheats on her. She stayed with him because, as some of you may know, the opposite sex (this applies to ladies too) have a way with words, and diamonds in Tyler's case, when put under pressure. Her life was so sad, she'd given up everything that she wanted so that her husband could do what he wanted - been there done that got the t-shirt (not the husband) - so when she bumps in to her old flame Simon at the christmas party - he's going to be Tyler's new boss-  life gets better. After thinking she's seen Tyler getting it on with Louise, she leaves with Simon. And after finding out that Simon never broke up with her, it was actually Tyler that sent those emails, she hops on a plane to enjoy a new life, with someone that dropped everything in the corporate circle to make her happy!

Finally there is Melissa, she's an odd one. In a way I do empathise with her, she has two sons all grown up who she's hardly seen or had time with because, like Kirsten she spent her life, moving place to place so her husband Lance, who is also a drunk, could climb the corporate ladder. She also has no friends and no real life of her own, Lance's little friend has been out of action for quite some time so she's been seeking love and comfort in other places, like Tyler Benson. It was supposed to be something casual but she ended up falling in love with him anyway unfortuneatley for her Tyler didn't feel the same. It was a night of revelations for her, and in the end she finds the courage to pack her bags, leave Lance (and Tyler behind) and move on with her life!!

And Tyler, well let's just say he got what was coming to him!! (I want to leave that bit secret for those that haven't read it yet)

I felt that the book dragged a bit in the Christmas Eve section, however, it was needed because the events from the Christmas party needed concluding and that was done, I felt it could have ended on Christmas Eve, I was more than happy with how all the characters were left, going in to Christmas day just wasn't needed!!!

I didn't find this overly festive if I'm honest.... The love tangles and drama made for a brilliant but on a scale of 1-10 it was a feeble festive five!!

Next stop is Giovanna Fletcher's Dream a Little Christmas Dream....

Find me on Social media!

Instagram @annakimberley93
Twitter @annarailton1993

Pink Parcel - It's a monthly thing!

Okay ladies, lets talk that time of the month and the thing that will make you look forward too it rather than dread it!

Pink Parcel is a monthly supscription box that delivers everything you need for mother natures call, straight to your door at the bargain price of £12.99! Good news though, you can get your first box for just £7.95!!

So how does it work?? Well the signing up process is pretty straight forward, you select whether you want tampons or towels and select the brand that you want, for tampons the options are, Tampax Regular, Tampax Pearl Regular, Tampax Compak Regular, Kotex Sleek Regular, Kotex Click Regular, Lil-Lets regular with applicator or without, Organyc Regular with or without applicator. And for the towels the options are Bodyform and Always Ultra (if you want long or long plus it's only Always that is available).

Once you have selected that you need to put in your dates! Date of your last period, how long it usually lasts, how many days are in your cycle and when you think your next period is due. This used to be so that they could get your parcel to you in time for your period however they recently changed this which takes us to the next step...

Selecting when you want your parcel to be delivered, the choices are the 10th, 20th and 28th. Your parcel will arrive on this date and be sent out a week before.

I get the towels, so I can't advise on the tampons, but you get about 20, some in a little bag, complete with pantyliners, to carry in your handbag, and about five for night time!

Now for the fun bit!! All the added extras that are the reason you will look forward to your period. You will notice in the picture that there is a box marked 'For You' in this box are lots of little treats, to make that time of the month easier. You always get a tea bag, herbal, and some form of sweety treat. This month those are English Tea Party Cranberry and Vanilla Delight teabag and Cocoba Orange Milk Chocolate.

A couple of months ago they also added the brand Sass to the box, so far I have had two of the purrifying cleansers and a freshening mist.

Also in this months box Pink Parcels own brand brow kit, Benkos Eyeliner and Peach scented hand cream, Little Ondine nail varnish, Anatomicals head balm and a sample of Neutrogena body lotion.

Having only got my parcel yesterday I can say how good the products are, except for the eyeliner, that's great, and also the chocolate, that is gorgeous!!!

You definitely get more than your money's worth with these boxes that's for sure!!!! Last months box came with an MUA eye-shadow pallette which is actually sold at £6!!

I have had a few bumps in the road with my parcels the last couple of months but as soon as I emailed them it was sorted straight away - their customer service is amazing!

So what are you waiting for ladies, make your periods enjoyable and treat yourself to the Pink Parcel!
If you are interested, just click this link ---> https://www.pinkparcel.co.uk/


Find me on social media!!

Instagram @annakimberley93
Twitter @annarailton1993

The Christmas Book Club

I know what some of you are thinking. God no not the C word!!! It's only November!!

Yes it is November, 9th November to be exact. Leaving us just 46 sleeps away from Christmas Day!

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are officially out of the way, not that they ever stopped me, Christmas cheer and festivities can begin!

So I thought what better way to get us feeling festive than to start an online Christmas Book club!!

I have rummaged through amazon's top picks and selected some that stood out to me like Rudolphs shiny red nose!

They are:

Christmas at Lilac Cottage - Holly Martin

The Christmas Party - Carole Matthews

Make a Christmas Wish- Julia Williams

Dream a Little Christmas Dream - Giovanna Fletcher

All of these books can be found on Amazon, Giovanna Fletcher's is only available in Kindle format- don't worry if you don't have a kindle though because you can download the kindle app onto your phone, tablet or computer!

To get the snowball rolling is The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews! This is the book that ignited the Christmas book club idea when I saw it sitting amongst all the other second hand books at my local Tesco!!

Blurb:

Louise Young is a devoted single mother whose only

priority is providing for her daughter, Mia. Louise has a good

job in a huge international corporation and she's grateful for it.

The only problem is her boss who can't keep his hands to himself, but 

Louise can handle him. What she really doesn't have time for is romance - until

she meets the company's rising star, Josh Wallace.

Louise usually says no to evenings out, but she's decided to let her hair 

down tonight. It's the office Christmas party, she has a pretty dress to wear and she's 

looking forward to some champagne and fun. She's completely unaware that

others around her are too busy playing dangerous games to enjoy the party -

until she's pulled into those games herself.

Now, I will be honest, I have already started this book and it's completely different to what I thought it would be, but in a good way. There is more to the story that just a simple office fling and a hands on boss, the end of each chapter literally leaves you wanting more... and more!

How will the book club work?? Well using social media platforms you can share your thoughts on the book, characters, plot twists etc. Just use the hash-tag #ChristmasBookClub and to ensure that there are no mix ups with anybody else's Christmas book clubs please also make sure to use the hash-tag #EssenceofAnna also feel free to tag me in them, my social media info can be found below!

You can expect the verdict on this book same time next week and I can't wait to see what you all think!!
Please also feel free to make additions to our list, just be sure to use the hash-tags!

So what are you waiting for ladies (and gents) grab your cosy socks and a hot cup of tea or tall glass of wine, depending on your mood and the day you've had, and sink into Christmas!

Find me on social media!

Instagram @annakimberley93
Twitter @annarailton1993

October Favourites!

Wow I can't believe that it's already November! Where is the year going??

So this blog post is all about the things I have been loving this last month, if you're familiar with the youtube trend you will know exactly how this goes, if not then it is pretty straight forward! I will do my best to leave the links for the majority of the items, if not I will let you know where I picked it up from. So, lets get started!


Starting from the left!

1) My HP Chromebook 14. I honestly do not know how I survived for so long without a laptop. I haven't worked everything out on the laptop yet and I'm also not a very technical person so I can't give you a proper in depth description but it does everything that I need it too and that's the most important thing! Also, for students and people just like me who like to have their laptop in bed then this is the one for you because it doesn't have a cooling fan so you can happily have it resting in your bed without having to worry about the fan getting clogged with dust etc.

I picked mine up from the HP website, it was an end of range clearance, they do have them on Amazon as well, with this, rather than leave a link, I will just let you Google it!

2) MUA Heaven and Earth Eyeshadow palette. You don't need any other palettes you just need this one. I have brown eyes so all the shades are perfect for me. They're also really great autumnal, seasonal colours. You can go as neutral or as smoky as you want with these shades and they all work together. It's just great and only £4, you can't go wrong. The only down side is that all the shadows in the palette have a shimmery tint to them but at this time of year a little bit of shimmer never hurt anyone! Click the link to get yours now! --> http://www.superdrug.com/MUA/MUA-Eyeshadow-Palette-Heaven-And-Earth/p/267771#.VjSwP9XhDnA

3) #LipGlam , I got this in my September Pink Parcel and I have been loving it ever since!! It says on the package that it lasts up to 8 hours now I haven't found this to be the case when using through the day, I'd say it lasts a maximum of four hours but that is still amazing!!! I've been using this on a night, putting it on my lips before bed and when I wake up they're lovely and soft! Something like this is perfect for winter because it's quite thick, so really good at preventing chapped lips. Now for a lip balm it is on the pricier end but that's because the idea with this is that it can be used as cuticle balm and hand cream as well as a lot of other things. I have used it on my cuticles and it was really good for that but I think maybe it's a bit too sticky for a hand balm!! Click the link to look for yourself --> http://www.lipglam.com/lipglam-natural-lanolin-lip-balm.html

4) W7 Blush in the shade Tawny, this was an impulse buy at the checkouts of my local Factory Shop and it's incredible. I personally think it's the perfect shade for the season to give you that natural flushed look (but not in a bad way) and to say it was only £2 it is super pigmented and lasts all day! If you see this while out and about I strongly suggest getting one, you won't be disappointed!

5) -cheating here- Maxfactor miracle match foundation and primark beauty blender, I very recently did a blog post all about these two products so if you want to know more, just scroll down to All About That Base!

6) Bourjois Paris Dark Khol mascara, I got this in my September Pink Parcel and it as blown me away! I naturally have thick dark lashes, so very rarely do I notice mascara making a difference but this mascara adds so much volume, just incredible. The only issue is the applicator, it makes it really hard to get into the corners of your eyes and also not possible to do lower lashes, well not for me at least! Click the link to try for yourself --> http://www.asos.com/Bourjois/Bourjois-Dark-Khol-Mascara/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=3866834&istCompanyId=6f061ed0-7427-4b6c-bb90-987c0bd08468&istItemId=wtxwtmxri&istBid=tztx&affid=14173&channelref=google+shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=41477300408&utm_content=&utm_campaign=&cvosrc=ppc.google.41477300408&network=g&mobile=&search=1&content=&creative=53983301781&ptid=41477300408&adposition=1o2&r=2&mk=ab&gclid=CjwKEAjwzdGxBRC3rPWZq83FzyUSJAB9IC5iKCBES3RoFBdsBqgmrh_p09NYXEnqVzu2orhf9nXeyhoCOzbw_wcB

7) Schwarzkopf Omega Repair BB Beauty Balm (developed by Claudia Schiffer) Okay, so this is a product that I have had for quite some time but I have been reaching for it quite a lot this past month! I used to wash my hair every single night, which, as most people know, isn't actually any good for your hair, so on the days when I don't wash my hair I use this product. I either put it in before I go to bed, or in the morning, y http://www.superdrug.com/Schwarzkopf-Ultime/Essence-ULT%C3%8EME-Omega-Repair-Beauty-Balm-100ml/p/886965#.VjXhQNXhDnA

ou can apply it to dry or damp hair but I use it on dry hair, just one pump and then I run it through my hair with my fingers. It just makes my hair look and feel softer also helps if you have a little bit of frizz just to smooth that out and the big thing, it smells absolutely gorgeous!!! Click the link to pick up one for yourself -->

8) Ganier Skin Naturals Moisture Match Mattifying Fresh Cream (Gosh that's a mouthful!) This moisturiser is amazing. I have oily skin so sometimes throughout the day that can start to show, but not with this cream. My face stays matte all day and I love it!!! Another thing that I have noticed with this moisturiser is that it holds my foundation in place all day, now that could be the foundation, but on days when I haven't used this cream I have noticed that my foundation doesn't hold as well. Massive thumbs up on this one! If you would also like to give it a try just click the link --> http://www.boots.com/en/Garnier-Skin-Moisture-Match-Shine-Be-Gone-50ml_1299037/

9) Finally, the end of the line, the black handbag. Not much that I can say about this because it sort of speaks for itself. I just think it looks really smart and it goes with everything. I've been after a black handbag for a while and this one was an absolute steal for just £10 from Primark!

So that's it guys! I hope that you have enjoyed reading about all the things I have been loving this last month and maybe you've found something you might want to try too!

Find me on social media!
Instagram @annakimberley93
Twitter @annarailton1993

Everyone Hail to the Pumpkin Queen!

So Halloween is just five days away! With that in mind I dug through my old uni pictures to find a costume I could share with you all that is fairly quick to put together and easy to do!!!


Do you wanna be a pumpkin?!


Okay, lets start with the face and the hair.

First you are going to need some orange face paint!

(I found one on amazon for you so just copy this link : http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FRE5EFK/ref=s9_simh_gw_p21_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0ZF5MEY4AAYM4BD7BSC3&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=577048787&pf_rd_i=desktop )

You want to put this all over your face, and depending what other areas you have exposed those too. All you need to do is damp a sponge and go for it, you can build it up as much as you want. Being a student, at the time, I just used a washing up sponge so it doesn't have to be anything fancy!

For the eyes I used black eye-shadow and eyeliner, to make it look like triangles, again these are things that most of us ladies have! If you want something that will last but don't want to ruin your everyday make up I would highly recommend the Felt eye liner pen from Primark's P.S Love beauty range, at just £1 it is a bargain and I promise you it will last the night!

On to the hair! I just put mine it too a scruffy bun right on the top of my head to make it look like the top of a pumpkin. If you are unsure of how to achieve this then just copy the link and it will take you to Zoella's most recent 'Four quick and easy hairstyles' video and she shows you how to get a cute bun similar to that one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CACC_A3DxLM (It's hairstyle number four if you want to skip ahead!!)
Once I had my bun I used two cans of green glitter hair spray and nearly gassed myself in the process!! Now I got mine from a shop in York called Zest, however I have found a green chalk spray on Superdrug! http://www.superdrug.com/Superdrug/Superdrug-Green-Spray-Hair-Chalk-Green-Green/p/445200#.Vi0OONXhDnA As an added touch a picked apart a Greek styled leaf headband that I had lying about, these things happen when you're a student, and I pinned the leaves into my bun, very simple!!!

Outfit as you can see, is nothing too special or complicated. I went for an oversized orange dress which I very luckily found at H&M, now this was two years ago so you went get that one but anything orange is good. Ask friends, family and check every charity shop you can find! Look hard enough and you will find something! With the mixture of orange face paint and green hair spray I wouldn't get anything too fancy or expensive, keep it cheap and simple!!!

Then I added some stockings and black pumps!! I also cut a strip from an orange fleece blanket to tie
around my waist to make my top half look more round and pumpkin like!!! Coppy this link for the stockings/tights http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smiffys-Adult-Tights-Striped-Orange/dp/B003B9HADC/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0H3GZKNNBS4STMZNZ8P6


So that is it!! So easy and simple to do!! In case orange isn't your colour I have added a few other images of myself in fancy dress to help inspire you. And as for this years Halloween costume... Well I think three turns should do it...! Happy Halloween to you all!!

Find me on social media!
Instagram @annakimberley93
Twitter @annarailton1993

All About That Base

Finally ladies, a foundation has arrived that is affordable and works!! CELEBRATE!
I, probably like many of you, have faced the battle of finding the perfect drug store foundation, the one that gives perfect coverage and is long lasting while also not doing too much damage to the bank account.

Maxfactor's Miracle Match foundation has come to the rescue! It is literally perfect, in every way, if it was a man I would consider marrying it, it's that perfect.

It's not thick in consistency so it doesn't feel cloggy (does that make sense?!)  It gives even coverage and it doesn't wander off throughout the day it stays in place! YAY!  I have oily skin so it's been hard for me to come across a foundation that doesn't make me feel like I have just dipped my face in a deep fat fryer but this one doesn't make my skin look, feel or appear oily or greasy in any way! Although it does have a subtle dewy look too it :)

Now before you jump to conclusions that this could be because of a primer that I'm using you are wrong, I don't use a primer, just my daily moisturiser and that is Garinier Skin Naturals Moisture and Matte. Now I have to be honest, I was using this moisturiser before I switched foundations and I noticed a massive difference in the lasting effect of my foundation however even on days when I have changed my moisturiser the foundation has lasted all day! I should also mention that the colour is amazing, it matches my skin tone perfectly, which is hard since I am extremely pale, in case you are like me and also of pale skin, the colour foundation I use is Light Ivory 40 .

How do you apply your foundation? Well I'm glad that you asked that.

Until recently I was using the Real Techniques Finishing Brush to apply my foundation and it was amazing but as the weather has got colder I've been get drier patches on my skin and so blending in my foundation just wasn't happening, it was looking streaky and just plain awful HOWEVER thanks to Zoella I was pointed in the direction of the beauty blender, the holy grail of applying foundation!

(to see Zoella's take on beauty blenders click the link ------> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HwDK1iJ7Qg

Until watching Zoella's video I was completely baffled by the beauty blender and was just not sure how to use it, seems silly now!! Most people dampen their beauty blender before using, however, as advised by Zoe, I use mine dry!

Three pumps of foundation on the back of my hand and then dab the beauty blender into the foundation dab onto face and carry on until you have full coverage. The wonderful thing about the Miracle Match foundation is that it is completely buildable and the beauty blender helps you do that so effortlessly, the combination of the two is just a dream and leaves you with a completely even coverage.

The before and after picture above is pretty self explanatory but please note in the after picture there has been no primer, concealer or powder used, that is just the foundation, amazing, I know.

The beauty blender that I am currently using is the one from Primark!!!! It is only £1!! It doesn't absorb too much product and is perfect if you are looking for something cheap to travel with so that you don't lose your more expensive one or if you are just looking to try one out!!! I have been so impressed by the beauty blender I will be upgrading to the Real Techniques one which you can get here ----->   https://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Miracle-Complexion-Sponge_1389470/

Miracle Match Foundation -----> http://www.superdrug.com/search?text=miracle+match

Thank you for reading I hope that you found this helpful!! Happy blending!

Find me on social media!

Instagram @annakimberley93

Twitter @annarailton1993