Summer Favourites!

Hi there lovely people! How are you today?

Given that I was out at the beginning of August I didn't do a July Favourites, so I'll try to fit them all into a Summer Favourites post! I'll try to narrow it down because otherwise it will get too long!

-Herbalism face cleanser from LUSH
I wrote a review on this product and I'm seriously in love with it. It's really hard for me to keep a routine, to be honest, and since I started using this cleanser I've noticed a change so big that it has motivated me to use a cleanser, toner and moisturiser every morning and evening on my face (which I have NEVER managed to do.) It's even more perfect now that it's really hot (honestly, how are we at 35ºC on September?) and my face gets oily really quickly. I really, really recommend it!

-Evolu Protective Day Cream SPF15
Another part of my daily routine and I absolutely love it! I've talked about this one as well because it's the face cream I received from Rosie for her giveaway. A little goes a long way and it doesn't leave your skin feeling greasy at all! I use both these products along with the LUSH Tea Tree Water toner and my face looks honestly better than ever.

-Bonté Spring Water body mist
Refreshing, affordable, long-lasting... there's nothing to complain about. I have to go to the store to find a new scent when Autumn comes!

-Bonté Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover
I always had trouble with taking away my mascara with Bonté's Cleansing Milk and I honestly found the solution with this product. My mascara goes away SO quickly and it doesn't hurt my eyes at all!

-Essence Lash Princess volume mascara 
Loving Essence as much as I do, it was about time I bought this mascara, which is pretty much everyone's favourite from Essence. The brush is a little weird and at the beginning I didn't use it well so it didn't work that much, but when I got the hang of it looked great on me and left my lashes with a lot more volume. Also... the packaging is stunning!


-Essence All About Matt! Oil Control Paper
As I said, it has been a really hot Summer, and these have helped a lot when my face was feeling too oily and I was wearing makeup. You only have to pat them on your face and they absorbe the excess oil without messing up your makeup!

-All The Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven
I have read a good amount of books this Summer, and this one definitely stands out from the others. As someone who's dealt with mental illness for many years, I can say this is one of the best pictures of teenage depression I've found in a book. I strongly recommend it to everybody and I can't be grateful enough for Zoella to have recommended it!

-Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
I love me some Jane Austen and, funnily enough, I hadn't read her most famous work in the original version. It's still tricky to read a 200-year-old non-native language, but I've managed way better than I did when I read Emma last January! There's definitely a reason these books keep being published and printed and they have an undeniable quality.

-Sara Bareilles (especially her musical, Waitress) 
I've gotten into her music a lot recently, and it's weird because Gravity is one of my favourite songs and still I hadn't heard more music from hers! I discovered Waitress some months ago and I loved it the first listen (you NEED to listen to She Used To Be Mine, it's brilliant). Recently I've been listening to it non-stop! She has such a gift and the concert she did, which is fully uploaded on youtube, is the funniest one I've ever seen.


That's it! I hope you have a lovely day and your September isn't too tough!

A big big hug,


Acqua

May Favourites!

Hi there! May is about to finish (which means exams are about to finish and I approve) so as always, I've gathered the things I've been loving this month and I'm sharing them with you! Let's go!

1- The Endgame novels
This is the book discovery of the year! I was talking to a new friend from Uni about what books I like, and she immediately recommended this saga because she knew I'd fall in love with it. If you like Divergent, The Hunger Games and/or The Maze Runner, please check it out. The writing style is quite different from anything I've ever read, and it's really interesting. There are a lot of characters, but once you get used to it, it's not complicated to follow. You become invested with their stories. The writing could be better, I have to say, as with Divergent and The Maze Runner, but the story is so interesting and the plot so finely schemed that you don't mind at all.

2- Bonté's hair masks: Satin Liss and Repair and Protect
You know I love Bonté! I decided to try out their hair masks this month and I can see a HUGE difference on my hair. The Satin Liss one is for rebel hair, and it's quite thick. The Repair and Protect one is for damaged hair, and it's lighter. They both smell amazing and work wonders on your hair. They moisturise it without making it greasy (which tends to happen with my hair), so I'm definitely sticking with them for a loooong time!

3- Essence's Coverstick in the shade 04 True Nude
I bought this stick concealer because I was looking for something I could use without foundation, which I don't feel comfortable wearing, and I found exactly what I needed. It works really well with my spots and imperfections. It doesn't completely hide my eye bags, but it tones them down and you can't even see I'm wearing something, which I feel would happen if it covered them completely. What surprised me was to see it had a creamy texture. It's not drying at all! But at the same time, it works amazingly with greasy skin and you don't need any powder because it's not shiny. It won't last the whole day though, just for some hours.

4- Essence's LongLasting eye pencil in the shade 01 Black Fever
If you remember, on my Top Essence Products post I talked about Essence's Longlasting eye pencils because I had one in the shade 09 Cool Down, and I really liked the product although it didn't look good on me. I was trying to find a black one, and I finally did! I think it cost me less than €2, which is a complete bargain, and it just works well. It's easy to apply, even on your waterline, it lasts quite a lot, it doesn't spread all over the skin around your eye... Great!

5- Sara Bareilles' Waitress
As you know, Gravity by Sara Bareilles is one of my favourite songs, but some weeks ago I found out Sara Bareilles had written a musical! What? It has a song that speaks to me so much. It's called She Used To Be Mine, and the character singing it talks about herself when she was younger, how different she was and what huge dreams she had. It's just gorgeous.

6- Chester See
I already talked about it, but Chester See (youtuber and singer) has just come back! I decided to check out his content and he's amazing. And his songs... they're gorgeous! If you're into the youtuber world, you need to check him out. And if you're not... this could be your doorway! You can thank me later ^^

That's all for this month! I'll leave it here and I'll see you on Monday!

A big big hug,


Acqua

The Happiness Tag

Things that make me happy:

(Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...)


Scents

New books
Rainy days
Peach
Baking goods!
Tea


Books

Harry Potter: this just has to be the number one influence on my life since I read the first book when I was 7! I've made so many amazing friends thanks to Harry Potter and I've always been really active on the fandom. I've written fanfiction, read the books up to 7 times... I just love it!

The Fault in Our Stars: okay, I know this is supposed to be "things that make me happy" and you must be thinking TFiOS is a tear jerker... well, it makes me cry a lot, but it's also one of the things that brings the most joy to my life. I just have a connection with that book. It speaks to me on such a deep level! It's also one of my favourite films, but I've decided to put it just once so it would make room for more things :)

The Little Prince: I've said it before and I'll say it again: everybody should read this book! Adults more than children. We need to go back to the roots and see what's important in life. Sometimes we get so obsessed over the unimportant things that we get lost. To me, that book is solid ground. Is me knowing what I have to value.

All My Friends Are Superheroes: THIS IS THE CUTEST BOOK IN THE WORLD. It wasn't on my favourite books post, but I love it. It's actually Carrie Hope Fletcher's favourite book! So there's that. If there's a word that defines it is endearing. It just leaves me with a warm feeling and makes me so happy.

Malory Towers: talk about throwback! I've read these thousands of times and I love Enid Blyton. It actually inspired me to write a story when I was 10 and I still have it hahaha I still find myself going back to them every some months!


Miscellaneous

Singing
Swimming
Children
My village
Playing theatre

Music (artists, songs, musicals...)

Les Misérables: IT HAD TO BE SOMEWHERE. As with TFiOS, it's one of my favourite movies too, but I've decided to put it on the list just once. Do I really need to tell you again how much I love this musical?

Danielle Bradbery: my favourite "mainstream" singer, winner of The Voice US season 4. She has a huge voice and needs to be more promoted, because even though her first album was average, she's been getting new amazing songs out and I can't wait to see the studio versions on a new album!

Lea Salonga: my favourite musical theatre singer. If I could just listen to her live... I'd be the happiest person on the planet. I admire her so much, and her skill is undeniable. She's such a funny person too! And her daughter is the cutest! (Let me say I wanted to put Carrie Hope Fletcher here so badly but I wanted to talk about different categories and she fell on Lea's... but I love her too!)

Txarango: you probably won't know about them, but they're a Catalan band which has been touring all over the world. And to me, they are the definition of something that makes me happy. Their music can always lift my mood. There isn't a grey day when they're around. I've also heard them live a handful of times and you have such a fun time.

Haven't Met You Yet: This song is by Michael Bublé and never fails to make me smile! I love the whole feel of the song!

(Sidenote: I have my "Favourite Musical Songs" playlist on while I'm writing this post and "My Favourite Things" has just started to play! This is perfect!)


Films & TV

DOCTOR WHO.: Just freaking Doctor Who. I love how it celebrates the wonders of the smallest things human beings do, the smallest acts of kindness that make us human. It makes me cry and laugh at the same time and it's such a special show to me.

Mary Poppins: This was my favourite film growing up and it holds a special place in my heart! It's so endearing and fun and funny. I love it :)

Hercules: I wanted to say "Disney Films" in general, but I felt it was like cheating... so I decided to write my favourite one instead! But if I say it maybe that's cheating too... Oh dear! Well, I'm sure you all know how special Disney films are to our generation :)

Castle: I'm still in denial over it ending. Castle's character is a joy. A writer investigating crimes... I love his out-of-the-box way of thinking and his different abilities. The other characters and the stories are also phenomenal.

The Big Bang Theory: Just funny! The characters are so well-rounded and they have the craziest ideas. I love it!


And that's it! Thank you so much Beth for nominating me, this was so fun to do! You can go check Beth's post here ^^ I want to apoligise to whoever invented this because I know music wasn't on the original, BUT it didn't feel right to leave it out! So I just had to add it hahaha I nominate Laura, Iris and Jess! I hope you'll enjoy doing it!

A big big hug,

Acqua

QOTW #10 Like There's Only Today

Hi guys! Today's Quote Of The Week will be a little bit different, and luckily you'll have guessed what I'm talking about because of the title. If you don't, you will in a second!

One of my favourite youtubers is Grace Helbig, and on the past weeks I've found out her boyfriend is fellow youtuber Chester See (I know, I'm quite late, but I've just gotten Snapchat!) Anyway, they did a collab on Grace's channel and said he would be posting videos again after almost a year. So I thought I could drop by and check it out.

On his first video after the hiatus, he included a performance of a song of his, and I was IN TEARS after I heard it for the first time. I've had it on repeat since that day and I love it so much. I thought I could use a quote of the song for this post, but... well, I just couldn't decide which one. I kept going back and forth and changing the quote I wanted to use, but I couldn't make up my mind.

Finally, I decided to share the song as a whole. Here's the video (the song starts at 2:50), and the lyrics are below. It's called Love Like There's Only Today

What if you found out tomorrow
that you’d have to say your goodbyes 
Who would you love? What would you do? What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Cause lately I find myself wondering
where everyone’s rushing off to
searching for the next thing to happen
but what if life is just happening for you?

I know it’s easy to say
yesterday’s past, tomorrow’s a guess, you might as well live for today
and love 
cause there’s too much at stake
and love like there’s only today

I know there’s a dream you’ve been dreaming
where everything’s finally right
you got all that you need, with all that you want, it will just take a matter of time

but what if your dreams have been waiting
while waiting has been your excuse
cause time won’t deny you the moments
they’re just yours to lose

I know it’s easy to say
yesterday’s past, tomorrow’s a guess, you might as well smile for today
and love 
cause there’s too much at stake
and love like there’s only today

What if we lived in a world where we tried to just smile a little more everyday, what a world that would be, a world I’d like to see
So take a deep breath, put your worries aside and try to start smiling with me

and love, love, love
cause it’s all that we need.


This song just speaks to my heart. It's exactly the song I needed at this point of my life. It has such a powerful message. Let's get rid of our burdens, doubts and fears and start living and loving as if it were the last day of our lives. We don't know when that last day would be, but let's live in a way that we won't have regrets. "I wanted to write a book but I didn't, I wish I hadn't put it on hold" is not something I want to say on my last hours.

As the song says, we all have a dream. Bigger, smaller, it doesn't matter. And I don't think we'll regret having done it if we fail. We'll regret not even trying. Putting our waiting as an excuse. That's what we'll regret.

And we'll regret not giving enough love to the people who are important to us. I remember the look on my dad's face when his brother, who he hadn't talked to in years, died. It wasn't his fault that they hadn't been talking, it was his brother who decided he didn't want to have contact with him anymore, and the reason has always been nonsense to me. But this didn't matter. What mattered was that his brother had died and he hadn't seen him in ages. Although he knew he wasn't the one to blame, he still felt guilty. And I was so sorry he had to feel that way.

Love. Don't waste your time on hating others, it's only a burden. If you don't like someone, be indifferent. Love those who deserve it and simply ignore those who don't. Hatred is such a poisonous thing, and it spreads like wildfire. Don't start it. Live, love, smile. You never know how good that will be for you and those around you.

That's all I have for today. I hope you'll like the song, and I'll see you on Friday!

A big big hug,


Acqua

April Favourites

Hi guys! How are you! I'm really excited because today I'm going on a holiday! Well, it's actually not a normal holiday, because I'm going to a big theatre event with loads of people, you can easily see 6 plays everyday! The people there are really cool and the hotel we're staying in is too, and we're gonna be playing our play on Sunday so it's really exciting!

But before going I wanted to post this April Favourites! I've been loving a lot of things, so it's been hard to narrow it down, but without any further ado, here are my favourites!


1- Maybelline SuperStay 7 Days Gel Nail Color varnishes
I talked about the 230 Berry Stain shade on this post and you know I loved it, so I bought another shade more suited for Spring! It's the shade 130 Rose Poudré, and it's a really pretty nude pink. I think it's very elegant and it's perfect if you tend to go for warmer, more natural colours. It faded a little bit faster than the Berry Stain one, but it still lasts a lot and is really easy and quick to apply. The formula is awesome and there are more beautiful colours on this range, so I'm sure you all can find your style!


2- Essence's Nail Polish Corrector Pen
There's a lot of nails on this post, I'm sorry ^^' But you know nails are my thing! I bought this corrector pen a couple of weeks ago and it's SO useful! It's a kind of marker with nail polish remover instead of ink, so you can use it to "erase" the varnish left outside of your nails if you're clumsy like me hahaha It makes my life so much easier, I'd definitely recommend you give it a try! I bought Essence's because it's the only one I could find, but there are more brands that make them!

3- Bonté's Express Nail Polish Remover
GUYS THIS IS MY LIFE SAVER. It's the best thing I've purchased in a while. It has a sponge inside with a hole in the middle so you just put your finger inside, rub it a little bit on the sponge, take it out and voilà! No nail polish! It works so fast and so well and it saves me a lot of time and effort when I want to change the colour on my nails. I'll let you know how much it lasts, but for now it doesn't seem to dry out or stop working. I think it was like €1.50, so definitely worth the money. Again, I've found more brands with this kind of product, but I bought Bonté's because it was the cheapest and for a trial I didn't want to pay a lot if maybe I wasn't going to like it. I'm definitely repurchasing it!


4- Essence's Kajal Pencil in 21 Feel the Eclipse
This is actually my favourite Essence Eye Pencil, but I absolutely forgot about it for my "Top Essence Products" post! I used it a couple of days later and I wanted to smash my head for forgetting it, so I thought I'd put it on my favourites :) It's not completely black, it's a beautiful deep dark blue and I'm absolutely in love with it! It looks black if you don't look closely, but then you can see it's a touch away from being black. It lasts a fair amount of time for its price. It won't last you a whole day, but maybe a morning or an afternoon.





5- Pantene's Aqua Light Shampoo
I usually use the "Repair and Protect" range from Pantene and I really like it, but a friend recommended this one and I gave it a try! It's really good, it doesn't have as many components as shampoos usually do, so that's definitely a plus. It doesn't damage your hair and it leaves it feeling really smooth and clean. My hair tends to get a little bit oily quickly, and I've found this one to avoid it. Also, I think my hair is less frizzy since I started using it!

6- Danielle Bradbery's Potential
You know I love reality singing competitions and Danielle Bradbery, winner of The Voice US Season 4, is one of my favourite singers. We're being really patient because the process for her second album release has been really long, but some days ago she had a concert and dropped this new song which is SO GOOD. I wasn't in love with her last single, but if the songs that are coming are as good as this one... well, I'm sold! Please take a listen to it, I've had it on repeat for some days and I don't get tired! It's so good!


That's it! I hope you'l have an amazing weekend and I'll see you when I come back!


A big big hug,


Acqua

QOTW #8 Dreams

Good Monday darlings! How are you today? I hope you're full of energy and ready for a new week!

Today's post is special and scary for me... and you'll see why! I think today's quote speaks for itself, and it's so true! Think about how many times you've given up on your dreams because you failed in achieving something. And now, think about how many times you've given up on your dreams because you were scared or you kept doubting. I bet the second option will bring more memories to your mind; at least, that's what happens to me.

And it's so ridiculous! I keep encouraging people to follow their dreams and then I'm too scared to follow mine. Hypocritical, I know.

That's why I'm here today.

You know for sure that my biggest dream is to become a writer. But there is something else I really love to do, although I'm usually too scare to share it. And that's singing. I've had the experience to perform in a musical and it was just meant to be. When I'm on that stage singing it's like I'm where I belong. I don't think it's what I want to do for a living, I don't want it to be a full-time job, but I'd like it to be a bigger part of my life than it is right now.

I actually have a youtube account where I post videos of me singing, although I've only shared one of them with my friends and they don't know there are more. I have loads of videos and audios on my phone, but I never seem to be able to make them public. I've started to take singing lessons this year and I almost fainted on my concert (don't think there was a lot of public, 50 people maximum!)

This blog is my "safe spot", and I tell you guys so much about me I felt like I needed to share this huge part of me with you! It didn't make sense to leave it out of this, it was like me hiding a huge part of who I am... and if I can't share my music with you here I don't think I can do it anywhere!

I think you've realised where this is going... I've recorded an audio of me singing one of my favourite songs ever, Gravity by Sara Bareilles, and it would mean the world to me if you listened to it. The audio is not the best because it was recorded on my phone, and I couldn't hear the background track very well, but still...

So this is me, putting my doubts and fears away and jumping off the cliff. I can't spend my whole life being scared. My dreams will pass me by if I do. And I won't let that happen.

I hope you won't either!

I leave you with the song for now. I hope you enjoy it and I'll see you on Friday!



A big big hug!

Acqua


PS: I was asked if I had twitter today, and I don't have a "blog twitter", do you think I should create an account?

Favourite Broadway Shows: Collab With Rosie

Hi there! How are you today? I'm really, really excited for you to read this post, because it's a collab with Rosie from rosieauthorwriting.blogspot.com ! She's one of my favourite bloggers, and I'm sure you all know and love her, but just in case you don't... go to her blog! (Of course, after reading this post hahaha) We both are obsessed with musical theatre (I have a belief we're LesMis twins, I agree with every single word she says about it!), that's why this post was meant to be! So I'll be posting her favourites and she'll be posting mine on her post. Enjoy and make sure to tell us your favourites on the comments!

Les Miserables.

Don't even get me started on Les Miserables. From the film, to the book, to the musical, I love it all. The plot and music is something which I really love, I like the depth within it as well as the fact that there are revolutionaries protesting. Also, EPONINE, oh my, and some of you may know I absolutely ADORE her and I also love A Little In Love, which is a book about her life. Overall, this is my all time favourite musical, I will love it forever. Favourite song: Arrggghhh I can't choose, but I really love A Little Fall of Rain, gets me every time :'(

Hairspray

This is such an exciting and entertaining show! From the catchy songs, to the great dances, to the funny one liners... This is set in the early 60's about a girl named Tracy who gets the chance to dance on her favourite show. However, as Tracy is overweight, Amber, one of the malicious girls on the show, wants to sabotage Tracy... This is just such a fun musical, which is guarenteed to get you grinning! I also love the fact how racism and segregation is tackled in the show, as it has a really good message in it. If you're looking to watch this show, I would definitely suggest the film! Favourite Song: Run and Tell That

The Sound Of Music

The Sound Of Music is such a lovely musical to watch! Set in Austria right before the beginning of the second world war, it follows a nun, named Maria, who goes to be a governess at Captain Von Trapp's home, for his seven children. She teaches them to love music. What I particularly love about TSOM is the fact that she changes the childrens' lives through music, as I also believe that music is a truly magical thing, which everyone should grow to love. Favourite Song: 16 going on 17

 

Oliver!

I love the book Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, and I also adore the musical! Following a young boy named Oliver who begs for more gruel at the workhouse, he then is kicked out into the streets. It's set in a really interesting Victorian background which I think makes it all the more diverse and unique to watch. I also absolutely LOVE the character of Nancy she is so sweet and caring and I love how she takes care of Oliver :) Favourite song: As Long As he Needs Me

 

 

Next To Normal

Next To Normal tackles big issues, like mental health, in a very creative way. It's one of my favourites because it is about how mental health doesn't just affect you, but the people around you. I think that Next To Normal is such a unique show, with so much character, and a really fascinating plot. I particularly love the Broadway Aaron Tveit version. Favourite song: I'm Alive- particularly when Aaron Tveit sings it <3

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed Rosie's answers, I sure did! And make sure to read mine on her blog!

 

A big big hug,

 

 

Acqua