What I got for Christmas and My Birthday 2015

I know it's a bit late, but I really wanted to write a what I got for Christmas post and since it was my Birthday on New Year's Eve too I thought I would do a combined post. This is in no way bragging, I love reading these posts because I'm super nosey and I also just wanted to remember what I got in 2015! Also I haven't included everything here, I also got some pjs and slippers but I had already wore those when I photographed this, I got the most beautiful and softest dressing gown I've ever felt and of course chocolate but that was quickly demolished! I also got a bit of money which I used to buy some new Nikes for the gym, I'll show them off in a fitness post which I will be writing soon! I was very spoilt and loved everything I got so I am very thankful. So here goes... 

Cannot go wrong with eyeshadow palettes for me! I actually picked out the MAC Cool Neutral and Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palettes myself as I work somewhere that I get great discount on beauty products and at certain times they have promotions on so I got these for a really good price! This applies to a lot of the beauty products that my dad got me, it was much easier for him if I just bought them for him!

Left to right: Vino and Edge to Edge lip liners and Viva Glam III, Twig, Verve and Diva lipsticks. More presents from my dad! I am absolutely loving brown tones and matte lipsticks at the moment, I'm so glad they have come back in fashion.

Urban Decay Perversion mascara and eyeliner and and All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray both from my brother which he picked out himself, I'm impressed! Also Benefit's Porefessional which I have wanted for so long!

These two were gifts from friends, a lovely eylure set and this beautiful Ted Baker set. I didn't want to throw out the box so I kept the bottom half which is sturdy card board with a floral pattern and kept it as a tray for storing my perfumes on!

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Moisturiser. I've tried a sample of the Kiehl's concentrate so I know I like it, but the Elizabeth Arden moisturiser was a first and I absolutely love it, new favourite! It has been a god send to my skin during this time of year. (Both from dad again).

This was one of my favourite presents this year, from my best friend. If you can't already tell, it's a basket filled with lush products! She got all the best ones in there and my baths will definitely be sorted for the next few weeks! She also threw in some cute little soaps and a candle. All my favourites!

More gifts from friends. St Moriz is a great low cost self tan, I've used it for years! The beautiful set of draws contains Baylis and Harding products which I am excited to try. 

More presents from friends, they know me well!

I've never actually read any Sophie Kinsella books and have been wanting to for ages, these will keep me entertained on my way to and from work. My friends also bought me these recipe books, which will really help with my journey to lead a healthier lifestyle.

More presents from friends! Cute fingertip rings, a penguin eraser that is too cute to use so I'll keep on my desk! And a banana protector, which I have actually wanted for so long, it can even clip onto things! Handy on a run..

Ted Baker undies, love them! And Bambi socks how cute?!

My main Birthday present was a Fitbit Surge! I wanted a small but really struggled to find one that wasn't a lot more money! I have been using it a lot and may write a review soon. I'm very impressed by it in some ways but also a little disappointed in other ways. It definitely encourages me to move more though!

What did you guys get for Christmas? I love all of my presents!

The Best Beauty Advent Calendars of 2015

I think beauty advent calendars are definitely the new Christmas must have. I think these advent calendars are a great way to challenge yourself to try a new product every day. However many have already sold out or are selling out very quickly so I'd get a move on if you want one! There are many more calendars floating around this year, unfortunately I couldn't post about them all or I would have been up all night! So in no particular order, here are my favourites...

The 25 Days of Beauty Wonders Advent Calendar - Boots

This calendar is a steal as for £38 you get £148 worth of products! Plus there are 25 to look forward to opening. It includes 6 full sized products which are a mixture of skincare and beauty products. The full list of products is available on the website, but why spoil the surprise?!

Tanya Burr Deck the Hauls Christmas Beauty Calendar - Superdrug 

Now this one is a bit hit and miss, as the calendar includes 12 products, including two pairs of lashes, all full size I believe. So when I watched Tanya's video (the day it went up) it sounded great and I went straight to buy it online as it is currently on offer from £25 down to £15. However it was sold out already and is still sold out now. I checked in a couple of stores too but her stand had been ransacked! So if you can actually get hold of it this one does sound great. More stock next time maybe?!

Charlotte Tilbury The Book of Magic

This is definitely a luxury calendar; retailing at £150. The Book of Magic contains 12 products, which are a mixture of full size and miniatures, many of which are Charlotte Tilbury best sellers. I was sorely tempted by this advent calendar but I just couldn't justify the price! But you no doubt get your moneys worth.

Selfridges Beauty Workshop Calendar

This is the second of Selfridge's advent calendars released this year, the first one was the Cosmo calendar which was contains the same number of products only more luxury and retails at £95. However it is currently out of stock but is selling for a whopping £140 on Ebay! I opted for the £60 Beauty Workshop Calendar myself, as I thought that was pretty steep for a calendar really.. But every year I always say "I'd really like a beauty calendar this year.." but never get one, so this year I took the plunge! Plus I'm single so I thought why not spend the money I would otherwise spend on a partner on myself?! Single life perks! Anyway going off topic.. The Beauty Workshop Calendar retails at £60 and contains 24 miniatures worth £226! I thought this was a great way to try some new products and I'm excited about the challenge of using which ever one I get each day! 
One thing I should add about this product though, I had to pay £5 postage which I think is pretty steep considering its £60, this was a couple of weeks ago and I was told it would arrive on the 12th but it still hasn't arrived. I know I don't need it until the 1st but some correspondence would be nice! 

The Bodyshop Beauty Advent Calendar

The Bodyshop released two advent calendars this year, their premium one which was £80 and this standard one which is £60. I can't see the premium one on their website anymore but it is probably available in some stores. The standard one is still a good buy in my eyes, as the products are worth £93.50 and you get the full 24 days worth! It features a range of their best sellers in miniature form.

Benefit Part Poppers Advent Calendar - Debenhams

Retailing at £34.50 this calendar is quite a steal. It's currently sold out but I think that's because Debenhams has just finished Mega Week where all beauty was 10% off. This calendar only has 12 doors, however it sings!! And although the products are all minis, I know from experience that Benefit minis last a long time! I would have purchased this calendar but being a Benefit lover I already own a lot of the products it contains so there wasn't much point. 

Lush Advent Calendar

If you're into your baths this is definitely the calendar for you. I love a good bath but don't really have time for them that often so I couldn't really justify this one! However retailing at £49.95 this calendar features 12 of their best sellers most of which are from their Christmas range. I honestly don't think you'd save an awful lot with this calendar, but then again all of their products are vegan and handmade so I think they would struggle to slash their prices. 

Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar

This is currently down from £49 to £39.50 on Look Fantastic. This is one for the nail varnish lovers! I rarely paint my nails as I can't be doing with the upkeep and they take so long to dry! Lazy I know, but they chip so easily at my job. So this one isn't the one for me, but if you're a nail varnish lover it's definitely worth getting with its 24 products.

M&S Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar

This calendar is a steal at £25 (if you spend over £25 on M&S beauty products) with the products inside worth over £200! I was very tempted to buy this calendar, there are some well known brands in there too such as Burts Bees, Stila and Rituals. It's a full 24 door calendar too. 

Do you have a beauty advent calendar this year?

The Christmas Post

I wanted to post something Christmassy so I thought I'd post some photos of our decorations :) I hope you've all had an amazing Christmas and have been surrounded by those you love xxx.

My Week in Photos

Hey Lovelies :) I've been wanting to start writing "my week in photos" posts for a while now, I'd like to post these weekly; ideally on a Sunday, just as a quick review of my week! Thought they'd also be nice to look back on for me. Also, this way if I'm busy and haven't had time for a proper post I'm still keeping you updated :).

1. Dad finally put the tree up at home!
2. Majorly wrapped up walking home from work after finishing at 11.30pm, hate Christmas shopping hours!!
3. I finally learnt now to do a fish tail braid! Thanks FleurDeForce!
4. My Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette arrived!!! It's an Xmas present so can't use it yet, but there will be a review in the new year!
5. I made my first YouTube video! The Christmas Tag.
6. Catching up with my home friends at an Xmas house party :).

Hope you're all feeling festive, 8 days and 11 hours to go!! (If you live in England) :D

Do any of you do weekly photo updates? If you do, let me know and I'll check them out! :)

Post Holiday Blues

It's that time of year again. Summer has made a brief appearance and come and gone in the blink of an eye. Many of us have enjoyed holidays and festivals and now it seems we've seen the end of those long, sunny days and the cold seems to be creeping in again. We are sadly putting away our beloved summer dresses and reaching for the thermals instead, covering up what tans we may have built up over the summer. It can be a sad time!
I had both my holidays late this year, and when I was in Tenerife last week and all my friends were telling me how cold it was, as I got to the airport I stood and soaked up the last few rays of balmy, hot sunshine that I'd probably see for at least another 8 months. Goodbye sun! :(
If you're English like me then you may have the same outlook as I do. I always love autumn and winter up until Christmas. I love how cosy it is near Christmas, when you can snuggle up with a blanket, a cuppa and a book safe from the cold outside. I love buying new gloves and scarfs and then buying everyone's Christmas presents. However as soon as the festive season is over it seems like its just a long, painfully cold wait until summer, a summer which isn't even guaranteed here in England and can be pretty cold and wet!
I think it's important during the colder months to set yourself some goals and maybe arrange some things to look forward to so you don't miss the summer too much. Here's what I'm going to focus on:

♥ Going Back to University

For me September is both a sad and exciting month, as being at uni means I've been able to come home for summer and spend it with my family and home friends which I love, so going back to uni and facing all the work load can be a bit daunting, however I have freshers week to look forward to and I get to see all my uni fiends again and I also feel like I have a great deal of independence when living away from home.

♥ Organising My Life

This autumn is going to be the start of me being majorly organised! I'm going into my third year which means I need to stay on top of my workload, and this starts now! I also want to carry on writing regular blog posts, going to the gym and work a decent amount of overtime at work too! Oh and try as visit my boyfriend in Oxford when I can! Time management will be crucial to fit all this in haha.
I have an amazing gym in Sheffield and I can't wait to join it again!! I've been really unhealthy these last 3 weeks being on holiday so I'm excited to get in shape and start challenging myself again and setting myself new goals!

♥ New Wardrobe

I can't wait to buy some new winter clothes, I really need some new shoes, some cute little ankle boots I'm thinking and maybe some brogues or something. I also want a new coat as I didn't get one last year and some nice knits!

♥ Halloween

I love Halloween! Mainly because you get to dress up and I usually decorate my uni flat. It's also a good excuse to bake!

♥ Christmas!! 

I think I love the build up to Christmas more than Christmas itself! We did a secret Santa last year which was really fun, I love getting all festive and decorating, buying gifts and putting my Michael Bublé album on, and of course I then get to go home and see my friends and family! My birthday is on New Year's Eve too and this year I'm the big 21!! How scary!? So I have a party to plan for that.

Here are some of my best memories made this summer :)

What are you looking forward to this autumn/winter? Do you have anything special planned to fight the blues?