With the new year rolling in, i've been thinking a lot about my blog and what I want to do with this little online space that I have. I've been thinking of making a few changes here and there, as I want to make my blog a little more personal in some aspects and to allow more interaction with you guys.

For the past year, every Sunday (minus a few) i'd always put up a 'This Week I' post, in order to show you guys what i've been up to this week and for a chance to talk to you guys a little, but i've felt that those posts really aren't bringing anything to my blog. They are my least viewed posts and I don't see much interaction from them and I want to be able to share more with you guys, in a more chatty way. As you can see the title of this post is called Sunday Summary and is my way of changing my Sunday posts - I may not do one every Sunday, but it will be my way to share more and to chat with you guys.

As for other changes on the blog, I really want to change up my layout and i've already got my eye on a few different blog designers, especially Pipdig as their services seem so easy and they have so many designs. I'm also going to up my interaction with you guys, through replying to comments as I do read every single one, I just don't often get the time to respond a lot of the time. I'm also really thinking of getting my own url and domain but I haven't got the faintest of ideas of where to start - if any of you have any tips, they would be much appreciated. 

Continuing on with the changes, I really want to step up my fitness this year and really sort myself out. I haven't really made any resolutions this year, but this is one thing I really want to do. If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have seen me post about using my Breville Blend Active (£20) for the first time - and so far i'm loving the smoothies that i've been whipping up with it. It's a great way for me to get a good intake of fruit and they fill me up really well. I'm also getting my bum back in the gym, but i'm thinking of switching gyms as i'm not that happy with the one i'm at, at the minute - but I will keep you guys updated on that one. 

Onto what i've been up to and this week has been a lovely little week of celebrating as I brought in the new year with some of my best friends and it was lovely to spend some time with them, as we really don't see each other that often due to university or work. I also celebrated my one year anniversary with my Boyfriend and I honestly couldn't be happier. We kept it quite simple and went out for a curry as a chilled out way of celebrating, which was lovely and I can't wait to see what this year brings for us.

So over to you - what do you want to see on Style & Splurging this year? 

Picking out my favourite makeup products from this past year was a really tough one, as i'm still loving a lot of the same products from last year but this year i've really narrowed down the brands in which I love and the types of products that I need in my day to day routine. This is going to be a lengthy one, so get yourself a cuppa!

Starting with my favourite base of the year, and this was really hard to narrow down as i've gone through my fair share of foundations this year, but this one comes from one of my favourite high street brands Bourjois. Their 123 Perfect CC Creme (£9.99) has been a recent addition to my collection, but this has really stood out to me over the past couple of months. Even though it is a cc creme, it works just as well as a foundation as it has a great amount of coverage but you hardly notice it on your skin. The different tones within this base work so well to just unify my skin, by covering any redness, dark circles and it's pretty good at covering up most of my blemishes. I loved this so much, that i've almost finished up this tube - so this definitely shows it's been well loved.

As I mentioned in my skincare post, i've loved a lot of products from The Body Shop this year and even their makeup lives up to their skincare. I big favourite of mine this year is their Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder (£13), which as you can see has been very well loved and i'm soon to hit pan. It is a lovely matte bronzer, that works so well to add a lovely amount of subtle contour but can also be built up for a lovely all over bronze glow. I've seen this spoken about so many times by a lot of bloggers this year, and is definitely one to try if you haven't already.

A favourite brand of mine this year makeup wise has definitely been Benefit. Even though I own a very small selection of their products, they definitely bring it in terms of quality and their packaging is to die for. Their Rockateur Blush (£23.50) has been one of my go to blushes for the majority of year, as it suits my skin tone so well and adds a lovely pink pop to my cheeks, whilst also adding a light rose gold highlight all in one. Another product that I have loved is their Gimme Brow (£17.50), which i've used everyday since I recieved this for my birthday. It's great for setting your brows, whilst also adding just the right amount of colour to fill in your brows. As I like my brows be quite defined, I use this to mainly set my brows after i've filled them in and it keeps my brows in place all day.

A stand out eye product comes from Eyeko, a brand i'd never heard much about but their Skinny Liquid Eyeliner (£12) has really impressed me this year. Even though mine has unfortunately dried up, in its prime it was a great felt tip eyeliner that lined my eyelids like no other. It's really precise nib gave such a sleek and smooth line, that stayed put all day and didn't ever transfer onto the eyelid. I really need to get myself a new one these, reminiscing has made me remember how good this eyeliner is. Another eye product that i've used day in day out comes from Laura Mercier, a brand I haven't tried that much from but their Long Lash Mascara (£17.55) is amazing! I only have a mini, but it covers every single eyelash, whilst lengthening and separating the lashes - I really need to get a full size of this, as mine is slowly drying up.

Lips, finally onto lips and i'm shocked I managed to chose just two products. Of course I had to feature at least one product from Nars and their latest lipstick collection blew me away, so of course I was going to feature their 'Vera' Audacious Lipstick (£21.60). This lipstick is just stunning in every way, the packaging is so sleek and the magnetic lid just adds a lovely high end element. The Nars logo imprinted into the lipstick is a lovely tough and the actual shade is so me. I also love the formula of this lipstick, it's very pigmented so a little goes a long way and it's almost matte but not quite finish is lovely and it isn't too drying. My other lip favourite comes from MAC and i've loved a lot of shades from them this year, but their 'Plumful' Lipstick (£15.50) has been my most worn. It's the perfect everyday berry shade that just adds a little something that I love. The formula of this lipstick is also lovely as it isn't drying at all and last so well on the lips - definitely a colour that will suit many different skin tones. 

Onto the palettes and one of my favourite brands from the year has been Makeup Revolution, and they have really brought it when it comes to their palettes. One of my favourites has been their 'Golden Spice' Ultra Blush and Contour Palette* (£6) as the blushes are so pretty. They have this lovely iridescent look to them, that adds a lovely amount of highlight and shimmer that really catches the light in a beautiful way, and the shades suit my skin tone really well. I've also been loving their eyeshadow palettes, as I now own a fair few of them and the pigmentation of the shadows are amazing and each palette is so affordable. Some of my favourites include - Iconic 2 Palette* (£4), Iconic Dreams Palette* (£4), Essential Mattes 2 Palette* (£4). Lastly palette wise, the W7 palettes have also really stood out me and the In The Buff Palette* (£4.99) has been my favourite from the ones that I own. The shadows within this palette are great pigmentation wise and contain a lovely variety of gold/nude shades that can be worn in so many different ways and these palettes are so affordable.

So those are my favourite makeup products from this past year, and what a long post that was! I've definitely found some amazing products throughout this year and ones that I will probably be using way into next year. 

What makeup products have you loved this past year?

This year I wanted to do a round up of my favourite products from the year, the ones that have really stood out to me and have been well loved throughout the year. Similar to last year, I will be splitting these posts into categories and today i'm going to be talking about my favourite skincare products from the year.

This year I have really furthered my knowledge when it comes to skincare. I've learnt a lot about my skin and the type of skin I have, but i've also learnt what my skin likes and what my skin also doesn't like - so i've been able to find some firm favourites.

A brand that has really stood out to me this year is The Body Shop and their skincare has definitely had a lot of love from us bloggers. Ever since purchasing the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil (£10) back in the summer, I have not stopped using it. The oil works really well to melt away your makeup and any dirt left on the skin, whilst also infusing a bit of moisture back into the skin. I really like how gentle it is on the skin and it never leaves my skin feeling irritated or dry, which is something i've always struggled with, so it's lovely to have found a cleanser that works just how I need it to. A few other products that i've loved from The Body Shop this year come from their Vitamin E range including - Vitamin E Moisture Serum (£12), Vitamin E Sink-in Moisture Mask (£13), Vitamin E Cream Cleanser (£8.50).

Another brand that has blown my socks off this year is Jurlique. Although their skincare is on the pricer side, it definitely shows that often splurging on skincare has its payoffs. This year I have really gotten into facial oils, as I find they are a quick and easy way to soothe any dry skin patches. One of my favourites this year has been the Skin Balancing Facial Oil* (£38), which I have been using non stop since I got it, but it looks like I have hardly used it - a little bit goes a long way. It is such a lovely facial oil that instantly soothes my dry skin, usually on my forehead and just works to really balance out my skins. Another product from Jurlique that I have loved this year is the Rose Moisture Plus Daily Moisture Balancing Serum* (£40). This particular product is aimed at dry skin, as it contains a bunch of essential fatty acids that help to protect the skin, whilst also infusing and replenishing the skins moisture. It's a lovely serum that sinks in almost instantly and since using this product I have noticed how much my skin has improved.

Moving onto face masks, and i've discovered a fair few that work really well for my skin, mainly focused towards dry skin and at replenishing the skins moisture. Another favourite from Jurlique is their Moisture Replenishing Mask* (£34), which is oddly a clay mask as usually I would associate clay masks with dry skin, but this one if just amazing for my dry skin. It works to remove and soothe any dry skin, whilst also gently hydrating the skin at the same time. My skin is left feeling so smooth and looking really revitalised and radiant. A more recent mask find comes from Rodial and their Super Acids X-Treme Hangover Mask* (£45). Again, another clay based mask but aimed towards 'hungover' skin that is dry and just lacking a lot of moisture. The smell of this is a little funky, but I can get past this as it does wonders for my skin. Said to resurface, deeply cleanse, exfoliate and restore the skin back to a healthy looking complexion, through the use of many different fruit acids - and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

So those are all of the skincare products that have really stood out to me this year, and i've definitely found some amazing products that work really well for my skin and i'm sure I will love them well into 2015.

What skincare products have you loved this past year?

This year been a bit of a crazy year both in blogging and also with my life outside of blogging, some ups and some downs but I honestly wouldn't change any of that for where I am right now. As the New Year brings time of reflection, being thankful for what the year has brought us and just general celebration, I thought i'd share with you guys my highlights from the past year.

Going all the way back to January, I started out the New Year with a new relationship, which i'm happy to say I am still in and today we are celebrating our first anniversary together, which i've been looking forward to all month. Sounds a little soppy to say, but he has become a huge part of my life and he has made me into a better person over the past year, even if we do each others heads in at times I don't know what i'd do without him and his continuous support.

The first half of the year was a very stressful time for me, as I was in my final year of uni and I was battling my through my most important assignments including my dreaded dissertation, so finishing uni and graduating was a huge highlight for me, as i'm the first in my family to have to gone to uni and to have gotten a degree. Although it was stressful, i'm proud of myself for sticking at it and i'm so lucky to have come out with a 2:1.

I hit some major blogging milestones through hitting 1,000 followers and more so recently 2,000 followers, which is crazy. For something I started up just over two years ago as a little hobby, a place to note my ramblings, it's mad to know how far it has come and how much it has grown. It is no longer a hobby for me, it's more like a part time job, with a lot less money but never the less I love this little space on the intenet and i'm so grateful for all of you, my lovely readers. 

In 2014 I created some amazing memories and said 'yes' to a lot more things, which allowed me to go through a lot of firsts. I went to my first ever camping festival, V Festival to be precise where I spent three days in a tent, with one of best friends and it was amazing! I also went on holiday for the first time in a couple of years and made some great memories that I will always look back on and laugh at, mainly at how sunburnt I got. 

With my blog growing over the past year, I have worked with some amazing brands and made some great brand/pr relationships throughout the year. I am so thankful that us bloggers are finally getting noticed by brands, and that brands are willing to work with us as it has brought some amazing opportunities for myself, such as attending The Clothes Show Live and meeting some amazing bloggers, but has also allowed my content to grow and improve. Also through building these brand relationships, I am starting the new year with a new endeavour, an internship with the lovely team at e-tailPR, who i'm sure a lot of you are aware of through their blogger network and i'm so excited to see what opportunities that will bring for me in 2015.

Throughout this past year I have definitely grown within myself and have become a more happy and confident person. This year has also really proven to me who cares for me and who wants to be in my life, and the kind of people that I want to surround myself with - we've got to think about ourselves once in a while, as our own happiness comes first. 

I'm hoping that my blog continues to grow during 2015 as I want to really up my blogging game and bring out some amazing content for all of you, but for now I just want to thank every single one of you for sticking by me this past year. I appreciate and love all of you fabulous readers!

Happy New Year!