Happy Halloween! - 31.10.26

 Happy Halloween! I can't believe this day has finally come - I remember last year, and looking at the photos, I looked so different. Yesterday was quite disappointing. If you live in London, you will understand how annoying the unreliable tube can be. One minute its up and running, the next the whole line is down. And because the pumpkin patch only had one tube station with one line to get there, it was impossible. Instead, my friend and I went to a Westfield. 

We then watched Obsession, which, for me, was really not that scary. I was ready to expect jump scares, creepy sounds and straight up horror, and instead I was met with this troubling sense along with slight unease, but nothing that made me jump out of my seat. I suppose it could be because people being creepy doesn't bother me much. If it were clowns, creepy twins or ghosts, I would have left the chat, because I am super scared of those.

The scariest movie I have still watched to this day is A Haunting in Venice, which features Kenneth Branagh playing Poirot. I don't think I have watched a movie any more unnerving, uncomfortable and terrifying. 

I would apologise for writing so much about horror, but it is Halloween after all.

Bye Angels (or should I say 'devils', just for today?)

Boo Baskets -30.10.26

 Good morning! Today it is rainy and cold, but I am venturing out with my friend to a pumpkin patch in hopes to get the perfect pics for autumn. First, however, I am going out for hot chocolate with my mother. I'm likely going to post later about my experience at the pumpkin patch, and also my review of Obsession! Be honest, scale 1-10, how scary is it? I don't get scared too much, but I have to say that the reviews people are saying is that it is even scary for the brave-hearted. I hope I don't get nightmares.

It's also the time of year to make boo baskets for friends and family! I'm making my close friend who I am celebrating Halloween with one. I have already bought face masks, lip balms, shower gels and bath bombs, but now I don't know what handmade crafts to make her. If you have any ideas, please comment!

Anyway, Hhere is my perfect guide to the ultimate boo basket (semi-cheap):

            

First, you need a basket. I found one on Amazon for £7.00. And then you want to fill it first with some really nice shower stuff. I find that Doveis one of the best brands for cheaper, but quality shower equipment. For the girlies in the UK, go to Superdrug as they have a huge collection. I would recommend buying a shower gel  , shower scrub (£9.00), and perhaps some shower oil? 

      

Second, you need to fill the basket with cosy items. A blanket (£11.00), socks (£4.00), a teddy - jelly cats can be really cute but quite expensive, there are many alternatives! (£16.00), and lastly pyjamas. The ones from Primark are good (£13). 

         

Third, the scents. A candle (£5.00), a perfume (£14.00) and a hand sanitiser. Touchland is cool, but again - there are many alternatives (£5.00). 

  

Lastly, snacks! I won't add this up in the price, as it depends how much snacks you want to put in. I like putting a pack of something, a large chocolate bar, and then two small bars of some kind. 

In conclusion, this boo basket in total comes to £53.00 

Have an amazing Halloween! 

Bye Angels.

Vogue - 28.10.26

 Good evening! I write tonight's post whilst fighting off the jet lag I am experiencing from the long flights, along with the Christmas music in the background. I am finally home, and although I had doubts about arriving here in my last post, so far things have been fine. I think I have an issue of over-thinking, but let's be real - who doesn't? 

My Vogue magazine arrived as well. The cover star is Lola Young, who I don't know much about, only that her song 'Messy' went viral recently. After searching it up, 'Messy' was viral in 2024. Time flies by. Soon it'll be 2027, which is absolutely insane. I'll write more about that closer to the time. People complain that Vogue no longer puts models on the front covers, and now celebrities dominate. I agree to some degree, however it seems that celebrities, at the moment, are a lot more influenncial than models at the moment. We saw an example of this at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2026, when influencers were cast as models to walk down the signature runway - which caused controversy, as they weren't proffesional models. Before social media was the main place to find beauty tips and tricks, magazines like Vogue were where people could find ways to look like the models on the front cover, but we don't need that anymore when we could just search it up on the internet. 

On another note, I have added an Advent Calendar! It has replaced the TV page temporarily until the new year, and although you can't access any of the doors until the countdown to Christmas, it's still a fun page. 

Bye Angels !

Farewells - 26.10.26

 Our Australia trip has come to an end, and I really do not want to go home. I not only had a tearful farewell with my family who live there, but I also had a realisation that I go back to school soon, and although I enjoy learning (even though my grades would say otherwise), school as an environment is super tough. I also had a realisation that nothing lasts forever. People don't last forever. And I have been incredibly lucky in not losing anyone close in my life, but I know that won't last forever. It's weird growing up.

But anyway, let's talk about something else. Last night, I had a coding session in which I accidentally managed to remove many gadgets on my website whilst trying to alter the tabs. Instead of raging and trying to fix the autumnal season look, I decided to go ahead with the Christmas update, so sorry if it is too early for you!

I have a long plane ride tomorrow, 7 hours and then a 13 hour flight. When I get back home, I have plans to go to a pumpkin patch and of course, celebrate Halloween! 

Before I log off, is there any new codes you would like me to add to the blog codes section?

Lots of love,

Bea XX

Rhode, James Bond, and Coding - 25.10.26

 I thought I would write today's post about the current candidates for the role of James Bond, who are doing screen-testing this weekend. It sounds like they have to do a stunt, act out an emotional scene, and be fancied up in make-up and hair products. 

The three candidates are Jack Lowden, known for his role in Slow Horses, Callum Turner, e.g. Mr Lipa along with starring in the recent romance movie One Night Only, and Josh O'Connor, who had a leading role in Spielberg's Disclosure Day, which was slightly disappointing, straying far from Spielberg's usual masterpieces. 

In my opinion, I would love it to be Jack or Josh. Perhaps it is because I've only seen Callum in One Night Only and the adaptation of Emma, but it is mostly because if he does land the role, it may be because of his recent marriage to Dua Lipa. I am sure he is an extremely skilled actor, but the films I've seen him in he seems to be very much average. In terms of looks, Callum does look the most James Bond like. 

Although I am mostly rooting for Jack, I wouldn't mind if it is Josh who lands the role. Although Disclosure Day was a let down in my opinion, Josh played his role very well. He seems a good fit to fill the shoes of Daniel Craig, but whoever it is, we know one thing - this role is career changing. Daniel Craig was an emerging actor before he landed the role of James Bond, now he is a classic actor known for his incredible stunts in the past Bond movies. 

To change the subject, I am obsessed with my Rhode blush! I tried Hailey Bieber's strawberry make-up look, and I am obsessed. Unfortunately, though I try to avoid products trending and falling into the world of consumerism, I have fallen a victim of buying Rhode products, mostly because I love them. I researched into Rhode as a brand, being the nerd I am. There are three things that make this brand so successful: Hailey (perhaps the most influential woman of the past two years), advertising (using the colours and associating them with other objects e.g. rhode blush with strawberries) and simple design. It is, up close, just plastic. And seems quite breakable. But the blush itself? Bliss. 

As I am away, I fear my package from TikTok shop is arriving at home, and I am praying no one else in my family or neighbours open it, as it is a small cushion cut out to the shape of Michael Jackson. I bought it for a friend who is obsessed with MJ, but anyway... there we go.

Tomorrow is our last day in Sydney! Noooo! I'm going to miss it, as we're likely not going back for another few years. A., the long trip, B., the family who lives here will be coming over to the UK next summer anyway. 

Once I'm finished with school, I plan to take a gap year and travel to the cities I would like to live in, including Sydney. I would like to visit Paris, New York, Boston and Sydney, even though I've already been on holiday to all of them. My plan is to stay in each of them for a month or two, and really get what it is like to live there. I'm not exactly sure how I am going to finance this trip, but I'll find a way. I'll pick up a few jobs and do a few gigs to make some cash. Pray for me.

You'll notice I added a coding section, which replaces my 'recipes' page. I honestly created the recipes page when I rediscovered baking and decided I was going to get into baking much more, but then I kind of exploded my microwave and decided to give up. I love it when I come across blogs with coding sections so I can explore how they created certain things, and so I thought I would join the clan. 

Lastly, would you like a tutorial on how to really begin a blog? Like, after creating the website, what gadgets to add and how to attract traffic?

Bye Angels!

Day 5 - 23.10.26

 Good morning... evening... night? Australia time is weird, I can't seem to remember whether it is night or day. Yesterday I saw Louis! I always feel sorry for him as he's almost perceived as the least-talented member of 1D, when actually he wrote quite a few of their bangers such as 'No Control' and 'Ready To Run'. Although vocally he doesn't have the quite range the other boys do (which I mean as no criticism), live he sounds much better (not that he sounds bad on the recordings!). I also feel that he is putting on this Liam Gallagher persona, and his song, 'Saturdays', sounds exactly like an Oasis song. He's a cool and talented guy. 

I also managed to find the mother-load of Rhode products. In London, we only have one Sephora and many SpaceNK's which don't stock Rhode products, but in Sydney there's Sephora and Mecca, an Australian version of SpaceNK. I found the pocket blush in my shade! I am so very happy. I also bought a lip gloss and another one for my sister back home. Here are some photos of my trip so far: 

I would also like to write about this cool bracelet brand, called Fahlo, which I found whilst visiting a zoo. In the gift shop, they had a rack of bracelets with different bead designs. These bracelets are homemade and each bracelet has a charm of a different animal. These bracelets then come with a QR code which you scan, and it then shows you the location of your animal, and you are able to track it! I have a koala, so I can track him which is so cool in my opinion. 

Can anyone who has seen Klara and the Sun as a movie tell me if it is really as bad as the reviews say? Yesterday, in the afternoon, we decided to have a chill time as we were exhausted. So, my mother looked at the cinemas around town and one of them was screening Klara and the Sun. I've never read the book, but my mum loves it and so was eager to see the movie, until the reviews completely ruined it for us. One star on almost every platform. Are they exaggerating or is it actually okay? 

What else? I don't really have any more updates! I suppose we come home soon... in four days. I'm so sad to leave, as not only does it mean I can't see my family again for a year, but it also means that we're back in cold London, and back to school. This also means it is test time. I have about four/five tests I need to be revising for. I'm prioritising Maths and Physics, as those are the ones I am terrible at. 

Goodbye, Angels !!

Halloween - 22.10.26

I can't believe in just over a week, it will be Halloween! Tell me, what are you lovely angels going as? Do you have any traditions? I usually go round to my long-distance best-friend's house, and this year we're going as pirates! I've bought a floaty shirt/dress type of thing, and I will wear a corset, a bandana on my head and some knee-high boots to finish. 

With Halloween coming up, we can also start to think about Christmas! I have to say, my angels, you readers are very lucky to have me posting this winter, because I LOVE Christmas. I think what I love most, and this sounds very cringy but it is the truth, I love families coming together and spending time with one another. I'll update my blog for Christmas in around two weeks, I first need to find what style I'm going for. It might take a short while so bear with me!

I went shopping yesterday in Sydney. I went to Brandy and bought two Amara tops, which means I have four Amara tops in total, but they're my favourite tops ever. Tonight I see Louis, and I feel quite sorry for him as it has been a venue change to a smaller place, probably meaning that Louis hasn't sold enough tickets. It's a shame. But anyway! I'm really excited. 

Bye, Angels ! 

Sydney Trip - 20.10.26

 Today marks the end of the second day of the Sydney trip. I thought I would do a post about the tedious journey along with things I have already observed about the city. 

The travel time from the minute we left the house to the minute we stepped inside the hotel, was 28 hours. The first flight was the worst: London to Singapore. I felt very jealous watching the people travelling Business Class, especially as we were sitting pretty much at the back of the plane. This was my first time travelling on Singapore Airlines, and it is supposedly one of the best in the world, but honestly? It was mediocre. The food was alright, the leg space was okay, the seats were comfortable-ish. I still stand by Emirates being the best. Economy on Emirates feels like Premium Economy. I personally don't see the point of taking Business Class unless you have a reason to - a medical condition, a flying anxiety... something along those lines. But I have no actual reason to go on any class apart from economy.

When we arrived in Singapore deprived of sleep, we walked to our gate and took quick notice at the shops, however it was 5am so nowhere was open. The airport was more like a shopping centre - there was a Lululemon, a Gucci, even a Bodega Veneta. We waited around three hours until we went through a second layer of security and boarded our next flight to Sydney, which really wasn't bad at all. I watched two movies, slept for an hour and soon we arrived.

The jet lag hasn't been terrible, either. I'm not sure whether it is beginning to kick in, as I write this completely wiped out, so I will be taking a nap after finishing this entry. Things I have noticed in the past 48 hours of our arrival is probably the fact that the majority of the residents I have seen in the main city appear to be in their 20s and 30s. School is still on, as well as public examinations, which could explain the lack of children and teens. Even in Brandy Melville, I didn't see any teens. 

Secondly, Sydney is an extremely green place. It cares about the environment, and there is a lot of greenery around. The water is clear, and there are strict rules about littering and protecting the biodiversity. Rather than London, which seems to build over any green space we have, Sydney almost builds with the natural areas. A family member we are visiting here who has lived in Sydney 10 years plus, told us that building the coastal path took three years of planning as they wanted a chance for people to be able to walk round by the harbour, but without destroying the beautiful green space they had.

Tomorrow we go to the zoo, and maybe do some shopping. 

Bye Angels !

p.s. talking about angels... the Victoria Secret Fashion Show! I have posted on the fashion page about it, check it out if you're interested/

'maxxing' - 14.10.26

I am obsessed with the idea of romanticisation, and making 'the best' out of things. I am an avid believer in making your life better for yourself by enjoying things, even if the tasks are boring and difficult. The modern, and more extremist, term of romanticisation is 'maxxing'. The definition of this is 'maximising a specific aspect of one's life to the extreme'. For example, 'looksmaxxing' would be changing one's appearance in an extreme way to improve their physical attractiveness. 

What was once a way of 'making the most' out of life, has now turned into a desperation to make the most out of things. If you haven't filmed enough content, or posted enough (or even too much) about an event, suddenly you haven't enjoyed it. Take a concert for example. I recently saw Niall Horan in London, and I found it extremely funny from my seat, watching as everyone lifted their phones as Niall entered the stage. A lot of the content is for posting. To show people you saw this person live. 

Of course photography, and the way we have cameras to remember memories, is an incredible invention. It enables us to learn more about the past, for the future to learn more about how our society functions, and a way to 'reminisce' over memories. However, do you actually look over the content you take on your photos roll? There are some photos and videos I would want to keep from this Niall Horan concert - when 'Steal My Girl' played, when Louis Capaldi was the surprise guest, when the duo sang 'You & I'. The rest of the content I took for no reason, really. And a lot of the photos were for the purposes of Instagram. 

I hope you understand the meaning of this... article? I would say it is too formal to be a rant. It just shocked me when all I saw on the floor of the concert was phones and people recording. What are your thoughts?

Bye Angels !

Saturday - 10.10.26

 Happy Saturday! I only have one more week until I'm off to Australia for two weeks to visit my family. I can't wait, as I've never been to Australia before. According to my Aunt, this is the perfect time to go. It's not too hot yet, but it is warm as it goes into summer. 

Today, I'm going to go shopping for any bits I need for the trip. We're talking face masks, socks, pyjamas and neck pillows... anything to help the 15 hour flight connecting into a 8 hour flight any less painful, along with the horrible jet lag. I also need to think about what books to pack. Perhaps this is my chance to buy a new one (although buying books is my weak spot, it is the cause of my financial struggles). 

I've also received my first publication in my local magazine! I have to write an article on where to purchase the best hot chocolate in my area. We're avoiding the Starbucks and Gails and all the chains, but we're going to go to all the independent coffee shops and try the hot chocolates and rate them. I can't wait, I'm so excited!

Bye Angels! 

The Traitors - 7.10.26

 I'm sure if there are any other people living in the UK at the moment, you'll know about The Traitors - for those who are unsure, it is a popular television programme in which Claudia Winkleman (a British icon) hosts a part of people, three of which are 'traitors' (guilty). It is up to the 'faithfuls' (innocent) to decide who is a traitor by conducting tasks and then sitting round a table and arguing. It feels like, at least for me, that everyone I know watches The Traitors, and this sensation has been around for a while, so I sat down and watched a series. I don't get the hype. 

I can't sit back and relax to watch shows anymore, because my mind begins to think about how it was made - what a bore it must be for the cast to be followed by cameras, to be told what to say (let's be honest - some lines and actions have to be staged, or no one would watch), to be filming from 6am - 11pm. And one of the main parts of the show is that the cast are staying in a huge, stately home overnight, where a letter is slipped under their door if they are murdered. But, in reality, the producers tell the cast to go to their bedrooms, and then come down for breakfast (which is obviously more at 2pm). 

I went to a Traitor's experience for a friend's birthday event. Traitors in real life with more than ten people? Impossible. People were talking over one another, people were whispering, and those who weren't contributing were merely forgotten about. If I went with perhaps six people, it would be a lot more fun. I was voted out about twenty minutes into the game, and I was taken to the room where there were cameras to watch the game, alongside snacks and drinks. It was a fun experience. It was well-thought out, and honestly - it would be great if you're obsessed with The Traitors and you want to have a special occasion. 

Maybe I should give it another try. I hear the Traitors has now integrated celebrities, perhaps adding to the reason more people are watching it. On further research, I have just found that there is American, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian Traitors to name a few. 

Bye Angels !

autumn

Happy October ! I realise I haven't posted in a while, and I have been super busy so I apologise for that. I've really just taken time to also step back from everything. We're still early in the academic year, and I'm already finding this year tiring. 

I thought for today's post I'd keep it simple and tell you what I keep in my bag! 

My bag is from BDG, and it is in the colour brown. I love the BDG city bags as they have a lot of storage space and look so aesthetic. I'm obsessed with mine. 

     

First, my headphones. I pack both EarPods and AirPods as I have found myself losing one another too much. I hate Apple as a company, but their devices are incredible pieces of tech, and I would be lost without my AirPods. If there are any AirPod alternatives, please do share! I like to bring hand cream, as living in London means touching escalator handles, train seats, doors... it can get pretty dirty. I also bring hand sanitiser.

       

Yes, I do carry a Nokia flip phone in my bag. It's mostly for aestheticness, but I do suppose if I found myself without a phone, I can always use my brick. I have a wallet, rhode lippie and my common place notebook. 

       

Lastly, I carry my fragrance with me all the time - I always want to smell nice. I also bring a water bottle, as again - city life is demanding. I love reading. I always carry my book but also a kindle, so I can read anytime. And to finish, my emergency kit with everything you could possibly need. 

Bye angels !

 

 Happy 1st of October! It is officially Halloween season, and I've already seen decoration around my village where I live. This year, my best friend and I are dressing up as pirates, and I'm honestly so excited. I haven't posted much this week, mainly because I have had a pretty busy week, but I am going to make sure to post a lot more frequently.