Christmas Presents

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup
Just like last year, the main thing that I wanted for Christmas was some more Charlotte Tilbury makeup. I just love everything about Charlotte as a person & I can't get enough of her products! As soon as I laid eyes on her latest rose gold & night crimson makeup bag I knew that I needed it in my life. It's such a beautiful bag with plenty of room inside to store all of my CT goodies & I adore the little lipstick zip charm! I'm obsessed with the Matte Revolution lipsticks so I got Very Victoria along with the Iconic Nude lip liner. The lipstick is a soft rosy brown nude inspired by Victoria Beckham. It's one of Kim Kardashian's favourites & I'm sure it'll become one of mine too. I also got the Feline Flick liquid eyeliner & a couple of eyeshadow brushes. Compared to the Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes, Charlotte's collection isn't much more expensive but applying your eyeshadow with these feels like your eye is being stroked by a tiny kitten. They're the softest brushes I've ever touched & I'm completely enamoured with them!




Lingerie
I always ask Andy to get me some new lingerie for Christmas & he did very well with both of these. I've wanted a harness bra for so long as I think they look really cool peeking out from under your clothes. This one was from an Etsy shop called ColieCo & it can be adjusted to fit anything from a 28 to a 38 back. He also got me this gorgeous red glittery set from Boux Avenue. Their lingerie tends to fit me really well & I love their overall aesthetic.




Audio Equipment
I've had a few failed attempts at making YouTube videos already but it's something that I do want to persevere with in the coming year. Personally I currently find watching videos more engaging than reading blogs & I think many other people feel the same way. I plan on doing some makeup tutorials & I wanted a mic to record a voiceover with. One of my favourite Let's Players said that he uses this Samson mic for his voiceovers so I got the same one. I can plug the USB cable straight into my Macbook Pro & record without any hassle. The sound quality is excellent & it came in a set with these headphones which will be perfect for video editing. I might try my hand at podcasting too!



Kindle Paperwhite
I bought myself a basic Kindle for Christmas a few years ago but I always regretted not getting the Paperwhite version. My mum kindly treated me to an upgrade & having a light built into the screen is infinitely better! I can read a book anywhere without having to disturb other people & the new display is super sharp. The battery seems to last longer too which was a pleasant surprise. I kinda miss having buttons on either side of the device as I find myself touching the screen & turning pages by accident but it's all worth it for that wonderful built-in light!



Marc Jacobs Daisy Gift Set
Having never owned a Marc Jacobs perfume before I was pleased as punch to be given a bottle of the Daisy eau de toilette. It's such a classic fresh floral fragrance & the bottle looks totally stunning on my dressing table. It's sophisticated & feminine without being too sweet. The perfume came with a Daisy Bubbly Shower Gel & a Daisy Luminous Body Lotion. Normally I don't care for the other products that come in perfume gift sets but these two are genuinely lovely & smell almost as good as the real thing.



Soap & Glory Products
My in-laws got me this cute box of goodies from Soap & Glory. I've previously bought & loved all four of the miniature products in this set so I was very happy to receive some new supplies. Who doesn't love Soap & Glory products?! Their shower gels are fantastic & Clean On Me is one of my favourites. The best product from this set is definitely Hand Food which I'll be keeping in my handbag for some much needed hydration on the go.




Birth Chart T-Shirt
I find astrology to be really interesting and love learning about things like horoscopes & tarot cards. I religiously check out my monthly forecast on Astrology Zone & I would really like to get a proper birth chart drawn up some day. In the meantime I can just wear this awesome birth chart t-shirt to show that I'm a proud Leo. As part of Selfridges' Christmas grotto, The Numinous collaborated with YRStore to create these custom astrological t-shirts. The shirts are unisex so if you're planning on ordering one I would recommend sizing down. Each design features symbols related to your star sign including an astro glyph, colour, planet, birth stone, the Chinese animal you were born under & your life path number in numerology. It's an entirely unique present & the finished design looks really cool!



Alice Bow Insoles
My mum has always been obsessed with the Royal Family & if Kate Middleton buys something, she has to buy it too. She told me about an article in the Daily Mail which said that the reason Kate can spend hours at all these royal engagements wearing high heels is because she puts these Alice Bow insoles in all of her shoes. So my mum went a bit crazy and bought two pairs for herself, me & my sister. The insoles are specially designed to cushion the ball of the foot & boast high-quality padding wrapped in premium Italian leather. They have different padding depending on whether you're wearing flats or high heels & I have to say that they definitely do make a difference. The pink & gold leathers look lovely inside my footwear whilst adding comfort & support to the cheapest of shoes.



Sailor Moon Merchandise
I'm a diehard Sailor Moon fan so I was really pleased to get this mug & coaster set as my present from Chloe. In fact I often consider getting a Sailor Moon tattoo! The artwork on these two items is so cute & I love drinking my nightly rooibos tea from this mug. I was in need of a coaster too as I normally end up leaving my tea on the floor to protect my desk & inevitably forget about drinking it!

I got so many lovely presents for Christmas this year & I'm incredibly grateful for every single one. The Charlotte Tilbury makeup bag was my absolute favourite though <3 This Christmas was a lot of fun as I made sure to buy Chloe games that we could all play together. We got a few board games & she asked for Mario Party 9 for the Wii as she loves watching videos of it on YouTube. We played it for hours on Christmas day & we got so into it that I nearly forgot to cook Christmas dinner! It all went to plan in the end though & tasted delicious. Pigs in blankets are literally my favourite thing about Christmas, I ate six of them haha! I must've been fairly good though as I still managed to lose 0.5lb at Slimming World this morning. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas & got everything you wished for!

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Christmas Presents

Polar FT4 Watch
2014 is gonna be the year that I get properly fit. I know I say that every year but I actually have time to go to the gym now that Chloe's at preschool. I'll be able to do the 30 Day Shred without having a toddler trying to sit on me or pick up my hand weights! I was using my Fitbit to track my calorie burn but it broke a few months ago. So for my main present this year I asked for a Polar watch. They're a lot more accurate because they measure your heart rate. I know a lot of people rave about these so I figured it'd be a good piece of fitness equipment to get. Can't wait to get back to doing regular exercise & lose all those pesky Christmas pounds.



Smythson Places To Remember Notebook
My mum also bought me this Smythson notebook for writing down places to visit. It'll be good to take on holiday to note down all the shops & restaurants I want to go to. I remember making a mega list when we went to New York. If only we could go back again!



Nail Art Bits & Shimmer Sprays
My sister bought me some sparkly Maybelline nail polishes & Barry M nail art pens. I'm excited to try out the nail polish corrector pen because I always mess up my nails. I really like these shimmer powder sprays she got me from The Body Shop too. They puff out a fine pink glitter that you can use on your face, hair & body and have a slightly sweet scent.



Boux Avenue Lingerie
I literally always ask my boyfriend for lingerie and Boux Avenue's stuff is just the best. Everything in there is so comfortable & flattering. He got me this gorgeous hot pink underwear set & I really love what he chose. I'm still tempted to raid their sale though!



Flamingo Candles
I'm obsessed with their Cheesecake Crunch candle so I made sure I popped a few more onto my Christmas list. I got Toasted Almonds & Plum Crumble, Tropical Coconut Milk & Honey and Pink Lemonade. They all smell insanely good and they're made from soy wax so you get a nice clean burn with these.



The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
My pink 3DS XL is probably the best thing I've bought this year. I play on it constantly! The Legend Of Zelda series is one of my favourites so I really wanted A Link Between Worlds. It's a sequel to A Link To The Past on the SNES and it's such a good game. Link gets turned into a painting so you gain the ability to move flat along walls. It definitely makes the game mechanics more interesting & I've really enjoyed playing it so far.



Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette & MAC Goodies
I got money & gift vouchers from most of my relatives so with those I simply had to buy myself the Naked 3 Palette. I love pink eyeshadows so I thought this was a great set to buy. Plus I needed to complete my Naked Palette family of course ;) I also made a cheeky MAC order where I got Groundwork Paint Pot and a 214 brush. The shape of the 214 is really cool & perfect for smudging colour under your lashline. I got a sample tube of Strobe Cream with my order which is another product I love.







Epic Space.NK Haul
All of this was a Christmas gift to myself. Sometimes you just gotta treat yo'self! I wouldn't have spent so much but Space.NK had an amazing offer last month where if you spent £150 you got a goodie bag with loads of stuff in it including a Diptyque candle & a £50 gift voucher. Way too good to pass up, right? I decided to buy a fullsize bottle of the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, their Arch Eyebrow Pencil and another one of the Ambient Lighting Powders in Diffused Light. I also got the Diptyque Mimosa room spray because it smells incredible. With the £50 voucher in the goodie bag I bought the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder, Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray and some of the Bumble & Bumble Thickening products. Everything else here was in the goodie bag. The only thing I let myself play with before Christmas was the Hourglass Arch Eyebrow Pencil which took a lot of willpower. I love it all though, I'm in beauty product heaven right now. I've had to ban myself from Space.NK because this was really really naughty!

I'm so grateful for everything I received this year. I got some really lovely bits & bobs. It's more important to give than receive when you're a parent though. It was far more satisfying watching Chloe open all her new toys & seeing the joy on her face. Kids really make Christmas special again. I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas & got some nice presents too. Feel free to link me to your posts because I love seeing what other people got for Christmas!

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August Favourites

Bumble & Bumble Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme
I normally hate my hair the day its washed. If I didn't add a plethora of hair oils to the ends & smooth it round with my Babyliss Big Hair styler I would probably resemble Worzel Gummidge. But once I've made the ends look good again the roots can become greasy and flat. I used to use volumising powders or dry shampoo to sort out my roots but I was never satisfied with how they made my hair feel. I've been using this product in my hair recently and it adds the perfect amount of volume and texture without overloading it or making it look greasy again. Its great for creating messier hair styles and gives your hair that unwashed look without making you look dirty. It also works really well as a base before backcombing. I just rub a small blob between my hands, tip my head upside down and pull it through my hair concentrating at the roots. I then blow dry my hair upside down and finish off with the Big Hair styler. My hair is left looking balanced with volumised roots & well nourished ends.

Essie Lilacism
Like everyone else I've completely fallen in love with the Essie diffusion line at Boots. The great colour choice, fast drying formula & wider brush make these polishes well worth the £7.99 price tag. One shade that I keep going back to is Lilacism. This pretty purple shade is just irresistible to me and since I've bought it all my other nail polishes have been totally neglected. I can't wait to get my hands on the new Model's Own Mirrorball collection and add some purple glitter to a Lilacism base.

Treacle Moon Her Mango Thoughts Body Butter*
I try not to buy too many body butters or lotions because I always forget to moisturise. Its so much easier to just whack on some of my Lush Ro's Argan body conditioner whilst showering. But I was given this in one of the goodie bags from the Leeds blogger meetup and I can't stop using it. Thats really weird for me because I normally just can't be bothered but the gorgeous mango scent makes me want to slap it on every day. It does a decent job of keeping my skin hydrated but the smell is the real selling point. I think it only costs about 4 quid for big tub. They also do a mango shower gel so I'll definitely be trying that out next.

Yankee Candle Red Velvet
I'm such a Yankee Candle addict! My dream is to have a whole shelf dedicated to them. They last for ages and they come in some incredible scents. I'm a sucker for sweet smells and the Strawberry Buttercream one is my all time fave. I'm always looking in department stores fantasising about which one to buy next (yes my life is that sad!) and I recently spotted a new candle called Red Velvet. Now I love cupcakes, especially red velvet ones so I did a little jump for joy when I saw it. It smells quite similar to the Vanilla Cupcake candle but with more of a chocolatey/brown sugary scent. Its such a delicious smell and when this one runs out I think I'll be getting the large one to replace it.

Boux Avenue White Chiffon Room Spray
If you've ever purchased any of the gorgeous lingerie they sell at Boux Avenue you probably will have noticed the divine smelling white rose petals scattered in your shopping bag. That smell is Boux Avenue's signature scent White Chiffon. Its a light, fresh scent with gentle notes of lily, jasmine and elderflower. I'm completely obsessed with it, having coveted it for months. I spray it around my room every night and its really relaxing before bed. I also bought some of the White Chiffon beads to keep in my clothes drawers. The room spray only cost £10 and is one of the best smelling products I've ever bought. Boux Avenue also sell bubble bath, hand cream, candles, reed diffusers and much more all with the White Chiffon scent. If I had my way I'd buy it all!

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains
I just can't resist trying out new lip products and these Revlon Balm Stains are the only thing thats caught my eye recently. I love their Lip Butters so I knew I had to get my hands on some of these. I absolutely detest traditional lip stains. You know those felt tip ones? They always bleed, make your lips look like they belong to a 90 year old smoker and taste revolting. So the balm formula seemed to be a good alternative for long lasting lip colour. I actually really like these. They keep your lips moisturised, are easy to apply and last pretty well. I like that you can apply them like a normal lipstick or smudge them a bit so its more like a stain. The only thing that I find disappointing with this product is the shade range. Honey and Rendezvouz were the only colours I liked the look of as the others just seemed a bit gaudy to me. Hopefully Revlon will bring some more of the US shades over here.

Spector - Enjoy It While It Lasts
I love a good indie disco. My friends and I were always going to Frog, Club NME or White Heat back in the day. One of the bands I fell in love with at the time was Les Incompétents. Their song How It All Went Wrong was always a high point of our nights out. Sadly they disbanded back in 2006 and the golden age of indie disco soon died with them (in my opinion anyway!). Then one of the singers Fred MacPherson started another band called Ox. Eagle. Lion. Man and I was also obsessed with them. I saw them live countless times and it was a sad day when they went on hiatus. Then Fred started another band, one you might have actually heard of, called Spector. Again I absolutely love their music, showing that everything Fred touches is gold. They recently released their debut album Enjoy It While It Lasts and its really brilliant. I pre-ordered a copy from Play.com where they had signed loads of albums. I'm totally jealous of Olivia who actually went to one of the signings but I guess this is better than nothing haha. This is the best album I've bought all year & if you haven't heard of Spector already go watch some of their videos on YouTube because they are amazing. Catch them live soon before they start selling out arenas!