2019 || NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

So here it is, 2019 has finally arrived and I couldn’t be happier to say ‘goodbye’ (and fuck you) to the previous year. 2018 was honestly one of the worst years of my life, even though I still made some amazing memories. In this post I will share my highs and some of my lows of 2018, as well as my aspirations and goals for 2019.

2018:

January - I turned 22 and celebrated my birthday with my friends and boyfriend.

- I travelled to Birmingham for work by myself.

February - I went to the re-launch of Las Iguanas in Nottingham with my boyfriend.

- I celebrated my friend's engagement party.

March - I had my first freelance job in months and modelled for a new brand.

April - I handed my dissertation in - a whole lot of words that I now have forgotten.

- I attended a fashion show and met lots of lovely bloggers thanks to Judi from Gemini.

May - I handed my last bits of coursework for my final year of uni.

June - I and my other half went on a fabulous holiday in Majorca.

July - I started a new job at Origins.

- I graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Criminology and Social Policy.

- I injured myself in the second week of my new job which resulted in some time off.

- I moved to a new house with my boyfriend.

August - I found out that my Master's application was unsuccessful.

September - I worked with one of my favourite brands (Sanctuary Spa).

- I travelled to London for the first time ever (by myself) and got lost on my way to the building and also lost my train ticket for the journey back.

October - I travelled to London again for work, this time with a colleague and I loved every minute of it.

- One of my closest friends at work handed her notice in :(

- I and my partner hosted our first Halloween party at our new house.

November - I found out I was going to lose my job (a job I really love) because the department store I work at is closing down.

December - I met some more gorgeous girls at a blogging event (Thanks to Judi).

- I celebrated being with my boyfriend for 6 years.

- Got spoiled at Christmas with lots of presents, but also had my mood spoiled.

- Celebrated NYE by staying in and ordering a takeaway with my best friend.

So, as you can see my year was full of surprises - from graduating to losing my job. Like I’ve said I mentioned all the highs but only some lows as they are too difficult and painful to talk about at this moment. I am very grateful for everyone who made 2018 special but also glad that I cut out toxic people out of my life. There is nothing worse you can do to yourself than keeping nasty people in your life.

Moving on, here are my goals and aspirations for 2019:

1) Get a graduate job

2) Start doing yoga daily

3) Eat well

4) Go to Paris

5) Start saving up for a house

6) Start driving lessons

7) Stop eating dairy

8) Eat less meat

9) Visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour

10) Reach 10K followers on Instagram

11) Re-launch my blog

12) Read at least one book a month

13) Start writing a novel

14) Educate myself on SEO and web design

15) Drink more water

16) Go on a summer holiday

I think that’s pretty much it for now, I will probably add a few more goals to my list as I tick off the others (finger’s crossed). I just really hope that 2019 will be my best year yet and I cannot wait to share my journey with you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE ❤️

What are your goals and aspirations for 2019? What did you do for NYE?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

2019 || JANUARY WISHLIST

Now that I’m out of my writer's block I wanted to bring my blog back to basics and write about what I have always enjoyed but stopped doing - a monthly wishlist. Even though I might not necessarily buy the products I mention, they have definitely made it onto my birthday/Christmas lists on my phone for those who need help with what to get me, or if I want to treat myself I can always go back to that list and pick an item (or two) of what I’d like.

I am currently obsessed with Soap & Glory products because I was given a huge set of their best-selling products for Christmas. I think I was 14 years old when I tried my first S&G product (I believe it was the Hand Food hand cream) and have loved their products ever since. Did you ever go through a phase of wanting every S&G bath product, or was that just me?

The products that have made my wishlist are the No Woman No Dry body cream, The Way She Smoothes body lotion, The Righteous Butter shower cream, Sugar Rush body wash, and Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub. Wow, that’s some list haha!

One makeup item that I’ve been lusting over for a while is this beautiful liquid lipstick by Jeffree Star in shade ‘Hi, How Are Ya?’ as it is the most beautiful red shade, well, equally as beautiful as my favourite red - Redrum.

Another lost love of mine is collecting Yankee Candles. When we first started getting these in the UK I have bought at least one large candle a month and went through them very quickly. Now I really love to treat myself to a more luxurious candle or one that’s less accessible (Bath and Body Works), but I have recently come across these two scents which sound very lovely. ‘Belgian Waffles’ sounds right up my alley and I really want to get my hands on it as I can imagine it to smell absolutely beautiful. The other one, ‘Strawberry Lemon Ice’, also sounds amazing and fresher than what I usually buy - perfect for Spring this year.

Now, would it really be a Vogue by Maya wishlist if it didn’t include an item of clothing (or three)? Snake print is one of my favourite prints this season so when I saw this gorgeous midi skirt from H&M for only £12.99 I had to include it on my list! This is definitely a staple piece that you’ll need in your wardrobe - get it quick before all the sizes go out of stock!

With Spring just around the corner, I thought I’d include a little cardigan as it will soon be too warm to wear big coats. This particular one caught my eye as I can picture it with so many outfits already, so no wonder it made the list and at only £17.99 it makes the perfect Spring jacket. There seems to be a slight pattern going as the clothes I had picked out are all from H&M but it is one of my favourite high street stores! The last item on my list is the pair of the chunky trainers for £29.99 which are absolutely stunning. I’m not one for trainers usually but these caught my attention as soon as I saw them and maybe have even put them in my H&M basket hehe ;)

What items have been on your wishlist this month?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

TOP HOLIDAY MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO GET YOU IN THE FESTIVE SPIRIT | AD

Can you actually believe that we’re already in December?! I’m sure it was July not long ago? This year has definitely been full of surprises. I graduated from university, moved to a new house with my boyfriend and started a new job which I absolutely love! Anyway, with December having approached us so quickly it only means one thing - Christmas is just around the corner in precisely 23 days!!! I’m so excited to finally be in my own house for Christmas this year and am very excited for next year. There is one thing that I always look forward to during this festive season - watching Christmas movies and tv shows. Surely I can't be the only one who constantly googles 'top Christmas movies' or 'what to watch in December'? This made me want to create my own list of festive shows and movies to share with you all, whether you celebrate Christmas or not I'm sure you will enjoy at least one of my choices!

Talking about Christmas movies, what do you watch yours on? Laptop? Tablet? TV? Because if you're after a new screen then I would highly recommend looking at 4K LED TV by Panasonic which can be found for as little as £660! I've been lusting over a new telly for a couple of years now and I'm hoping that my boyfriend will finally decide on which one to get!

If you’re struggling with finding what to watch this season, then go ahead and take a look at my choices down below:

MOVIES:
1. Home Alone
2. Home Alone 2
3. Home Alone 3
4. Home Alone 4
5. Elf
6. The Holiday
7. Love Actually
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
9. The Grinch
10. Arthur Christmas
11. Polar Express
12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
13. A Christmas Carol
14. Gremlins
15. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
16. A Christmas Story
17. The Family Stone
18. A Family Man
19. Jingle All the Way
20. Jack Frost
21. The Princess Switch
22. The Nutcracker
23. The Muppet Christmas Carol
24. Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas
25. Miracle on 34th Street

TV SHOWS:
1. Gilmore Girls
2. Friends
3. Vampire Diaries
4. The Office
5. Once Upon A Time
6. Sherlock
7. Gavin & Stacey
8. That 70's Show
9. Gossip Girl
10. Miranda
11. Anne with an E
12. A Series of Unfortunate Events
13. Doctor Who
14. Good Witch
15. Gilmore Girls - A Year In The Life

I hope that this post has helped inspire you this festive season movie and tv show-wise. I’ve already started my day by watching an episode of Friends and will definitely finish it by watching one of the movies I’ve mentioned above 🎄

*This post is a collaboration with Panasonic and is sponsored. All opinions are my own as always.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

TOPS PICKS FROM THE H&M X MOSCHINO COLLECTION

Every single year I look forward to H&M's designer collaboration and get annoyed with myself for not being able to afford every single piece from the collection. Last year I really wanted a pair of Erdem's kitten heels and they had sold out within 5 mins - literally. But over the years I have managed to collect a few pieces since the Balmain collab and forever wish I started sooner because their Alexander Wang collection was amazing!

This year I have my eyes set on a few pieces and wanted to share with you my top picks and what I think will sell out first. The pictures used throughout this post are all from Vogue's article on the collection. You can shop the HM x Moschino collection here.

The main theme running through Moschino's new collection is actually one of my most favourite things in the world - Disney. For those of you that don't know, I used to work for Disney for nearly 3 years so I'm pretty much obsessed with it haha. Anyway, here are my top picks + prices:

Do I need to say anything other than that I am obsessed with this T-shirt? It retails at £29.99 and comes in a few different colours and designs (there's a Mickey and Minnie one which I am DYING to get my hands on!). I think the sliders are also very cool and an SS19 must-have, they retail at £59.99 which is a bit on the pricey side for a pair of sliders but a lot cheaper compared to other designers.

This faux fur coat (£149.99) will definitely be the first item to sell out! The colour is beautiful and the chains on it add that Moschino look to it. The knee-highs (£14.99) will make a great stocking filler for anyone that's into fashion.

Another one of my personal favourites is the leather sleep mask and earring that the model above is wearing. I wouldn't wear the sleep mask (£29.99) because I'd be scared to get it caught on my bed and pull a thread but I'd love to get my hands on those earrings (£29.99), they are absolutely gorgeous and I'm pretty sure will sell out very quickly.

I wanted to save the best til last - even though this is the same image as the one at the top of this post, but I can't get over this beautiful jumper dress (£79.99)! Jumper dresses are a big hit for this A/W - you can read my post on what's hot in AW18 here - and I really love the colour of it too. Can you just imagine it with chunky cable-knit tights and over the knee boots? Erm yes, please! The model is also rocking my new favourite earrings and the sleep mask. Love, love, LOVE.

What are your top picks from this collection? Will you be picking up any? I can't wait to share with you what I manage to get my hands on! Follow me on Instagram for the latest updates - MissMayaSx.

*Disclaimer - the images used throughout this post are not mine and were taken from Vogue's latest article on the H&M x Moschino collection.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

NUDE MAC LIPSTICKS YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE

I've been a huge fan of MAC lipsticks ever since wearing Snob was huge. Has anyone actually touched Snob since 2012? I know one person who still swears by it and it looks beautiful on her but I feel like it's too light for me to wear now, does anyone else feel the same?

Either way, I wanted to make this post a bit more old-school like the posts I used to write as I've noticed myself finding it hard to write something that you will enjoy, especially as there are so many talented bloggers out there. I think I need to fall back in love with my blog and writing, so fingers crossed I get back into a routine!

My first ever MAC lipstick, or even my first MAC item, I purchased was Brave in 2012 I believe? I was honestly so obsessed with pairing it up with my trusty Satin Mauve Essence lip liner lol, I don't think I've ever received as many compliments as I did when I wore that iconic combo. I wore that lipstick every single day until I bought Velvet Teddy which became my new favourite, and once I got my hands on the Ellie Goulding's Only You lipstick there was no going back and my collection of nude lipsticks wouldn't stop growing... A few years on and I have acquired a little collection of my go-to nudes from MAC and I don't know what I'd wear if it weren't for them.

As you can see, the two shades towards the right have been very well-loved by me - and rightfully so. If I were to recommend two shades that everybody needs in their collection it would be those two (Brave and Velvet Teddy) as they look gorgeous on all skin tones and can be worn with all types of eye makeup (smokey, natural, colourful etc.).

The shades I haven't worn as much are Only You and Hot Chocolate as they were limited edition and I know I'll cry the day I run out of them. Saying that, I do need to wear them more often as unfortunately, they have an expiry date :( It might also look like I haven't worn Spirit or Mehr much either but Mehr was my most recent addition thanks to Back 2 MAC, and this Spirit lippie was a repurchase as I lose my very well-loved first one on a night out! RIP :(

Here you can see the lipsticks swatched on the inside of my forearm, I even labelled each swatch for you so you should be eternally grateful ;) Majority of the time I will wear Mehr or Brave as I do prefer a satin/matte finish and more of a pinky-nude but that doesn't mean that I neglect the other shades, well, not too much anyway.

Spirit: A 'muted pinky-beige brown' shade with a creamy satin finish. Well, this one has definitely been described as more than one shade haha! This lipstick looks amazing with a bit of Velvet Teddy in the middle of the lip to enhance the natural shape and size of your lip. (#TopTipsWithMaya)

Velvet Teddy: A 'deep-toned beige' shade with a no-shine matte finish. Like I've mentioned above, this was one of my most used shades when I purchased it. I think I wore it every single day for a few months so I'm surprised that I even have any of it left! Who remembers the massive hype over this shade? Was it Zoella who mentioned it?

Brave: A 'pink-beige with white pearl' shade with a creamy satin finish. Ah, my very first MAC purchase which will always be my favourite lipstick shade. I will definitely repurchase this over and over again as it's one of those classic shades that will never go out of style. I will be devastated if this was ever discontinued!

Mehr: A 'dirty blue-pink' shade with a no-shine matte finish. This shade was actually recommended to me by one of my good friends as it was her favourite during her time working at MAC, so why wouldn't I want to try it out?! It has now become one of my staples and I carry it in my bag wherever I go to top-up throughout the day. I urge for anyone with blue/green eyes and light coloured hair to try this shade out as it will make you stand out from the crowd.

Whirl: A 'dirty rose' shade with a no-shine matte finish. This is definitely one of my favourite shades to wear on days/nights out as it's a very versatile shade that goes with any makeup look as well as outfit. Does anyone else choose their lipstick based on their outfit?

Hot Chocolate: A 'cool-plum' shade with a creamy satin finish - limited edition. I know I said that you need this shade in your life but then I realised that it's a limited edition, oh I realised this after taking pictures so thought there's no going back #SorryNotSorry. This is a gorgeous shade and if you really like plummy-nude shades then you can find it online for a high price-tag. But if you don't feel so hot about spending £30 on a lipstick then try out Urban Decay's 1993.

Only You: A 'muted mid-tone coral' with a cremesheen finish - limited edition. Well, I can tell you that this description is complete BS because it is more of a pinky-nude shade with a lustre finish. It does look beautiful on though, especially if you don't like intense shades or the feel of lipstick on your lips. You can buy this lipstick online on Depop or Amazon, or try out MAC's Patisserie instead.

Which one is your favourite shade out of my collection? I feel like I should write this kind of post for red lipsticks too as when I don't wear nude lipstick you'll definitely find me in a red instead. Let me know if you use any of the shades I've mentioned and if there are any that I should try out!

*Quick disclaimer - two (Mehr & Spirit) of these lipsticks were from the Back 2 MAC program so I did not pay for them. This post also includes some affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo