BLOGMAS DAY 25- MERRY CHRISTMAS

Thursday 25th December 2014

I had planned a bigger post today including my Christmas day outfit and makeup but I've barely been home today so I've decided to cut it down to my festive nails. 

I painted my nails completely in the Barry M shade 'Raspberry', which is a beautiful pinky-red (lighter than it appears in the picture below). I then painted my middle finger in Barry M 'Jingle Bells'- very fitting for Christmas. 'Jingle Bells' is a new shade, made up of chunky and small pieces of gold glitter, mixed with small pieces of red glitter. 

I love the simplicity and ease of this nail varnish look- it's festive and fun while at the same time being classy and beautiful.

Merry Christmas everybody, I hope you all had a good day, and a happy new year to you all. 

BLOGMAS DAY 24- THE APTLY NAMED LUSH PRODUCT

Wednesday 24th December 2014

1 sleep till Christmas

I mentioned in my previous Lush post that there would be another one later in the month for certain reasons. And the time has now arrived. You can't write about a product called 'Christmas Eve' on any day other than Christmas Eve, can you? 

'Christmas Eve' is a bubble bar, and it has literally changed baths forever for me. I decided after using this once that bubble bars are my favourite Lush product and I'm not sure how I survived without them. Bubble bars are great as they have so many uses; you break off a small bit, crumble it under running water, and there's your bubbles. 

According to Lush, 'Christmas Eve' is scented with ylang ylang and jasmine absolute, and it smells incredible. Aside from 'Butterball', I think 'Christmas Eve' may be my favourite Lush scent. It smells like nothing I've ever smelt before and I can't describe it but I'm in love.

As a product, I would definitely recommend bubble bars.They're such a lovely product and you get a large amount of bubbles from the smallest bit of the bar. 'Christmas Eve' is 100% my favourite of all the Lush products I've bought this year. 

BLOGMAS DAY 23- MINCE PIES

Tuesday 23rd December 2014

2 sleeps till Christmas

Wouldn't be Christmas without mince pies (recipe credit to Delia Smith with a few alterations).

You Will Need (For Pastry):

-350g plain flour

-75g lard

-pinch of salt

-cold water for mixing

You Will Need (Everything Else):

-700g mincemeat

-Small amount of water and milk.

-round cutters (see below)

-cupcake tray

To Make (Shortcrust Pastry):

1. Sift the flour and salt.

2. Cut the fat into cubes and rub into the flour and salt until crumbly.

3. Add two tablespoons of water and mix together. Add more water bit-by-bit as needed. 

4. Form the dough into a ball and leave.

To Make (Mince Pies):

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, and grease the cupcake tray.

2. Roll out half the pastry dough, and cut into circles using the medium-sized cutter (see above).

3. Roll out the other half of the pastry dough and cut into circles using the smaller-sized cutter (see above).

4. Put the medium-sized circles in the tray and fill with mincemeat. 

5. Use the smaller-sized circles as lids and seal round the edge with a small amount of water. 

6. Brush the top of the mince pies with a small amount of milk.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes and leave to cool. 

The mince pies can either be served hot or cold. To serve hot, simple reheat in the microwave or oven for roughly a minute. 

BLOGMAS DAY 22- IT WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT

Monday 22nd December 2014

3 sleeps till Christmas

I will always have a slight weakness for 'tag' posts so I couldn't not include one. The 'Sweater Weather Tag' (as this is) is technically an autumn tag, but I have edited it for winter.

1. Favourite candle scent?
As much as try and branch out, I think I will always like vanilla the best for candles or bath bombs. I do have the Yankee Candle 'Christmas Eve' candle though which smells really good but I have no clue what it smells of (sort of sugary but sort of spicy?).

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
As much as I love the others, tea will always be the one.

3. What's the best winter memory you have?
To be honest, this December is the best month I've had for the whole of the past two years and these memories of the past month are some of the most important ones.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?
Dark lips, dark lips, dark lips. Dark lips all year round please. Lets ignore the fact that I can't do winged eyeliner...

L-R: Rimmel Kate Moss Matte '107', Topshop 'Beguiled', Accessorize 'Infatuated'

5. Best fragrance for winter?
Not a big fragrance wearer, so we'll go for a classic vanilla again.

6. Favourite Christmas food?
Sausage stuffing and bread sauce mixed in a bowl together for dinner on Christmas day after a massive lunch.

7. What is winter weather like where you live?
Cold and wet. No snow. Misleading sunlight. Weirdly warm on some days. That's London.

8. Most worn jumper?
I wear all my jumpers a lot- I like jumpers.

9. Must-have nail polish this winter?
Anything dark or berry coloured. And obviously glitter.

L-R: Essie 'Chinchilly', Essie 'Bahama Mama', Essie 'After School Boy Blazer', Barry M Gelly 'Plum', Barry M 'Berry Cosmo'

10. (American) Football games or jumping in leaf/ snow pile?
Leaf and snow piles in wellies.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?
Black skinny jeans all the way.

12. Combat boots or Uggs?
Dr Martens, the only shoes you'll ever need.

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
It's pretty damn good. (Autumn question I know).

14. Favourite winter TV show?
Liberty of London- I love it when it gets all festive on the programme. And I know it's not a TV show, but I really love Harry Potter in the winter.

15. What song really gets you into the winter spirit?
This year I'm loving Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas'. But nothing beats Elton John's 'Step Into Christmas' or the Pogues' 'Fairytale of New York'.

BLOGMAS DAY 21- A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Sunday 21st December 2014

4 sleeps till Christmas

I read this for the first time last Christmas after being an avid Muppets Christmas Carol fan for the majority of my life (my family can quote the film perfectly, it's weird).

I would consider 'A Christmas Carol' to be one of my favourite books. It's really short so super easy to read and it has a really enjoyable storyline. (Plus Muppet's Christmas Carol is really faithful to the book so you can visualise the Muppets when you read it).

Being set on Christmas Eve, it's the perfect Christmas classic to get cosy in your blankets and read. It's the the ideal book for making you feel festive, and I am recommending it to everyone.

BLOGMAS DAY 20- NUTELLA HOT CHOCOLATE

Saturday 20th December 2014

5 sleeps till Christmas 

Nutella hot chocolate is one of those 'I wonder if it's possible' recipes, and it kind of is. I haven't perfected up recipe yet, but I think what I've got is pretty damn good.

You Will Need:
-Mug

-Milk

-Nutella

-Microwave

-Spoon

To Make:

1. Some people may this by heating up the milk in a saucepan first but I really don't think it needs it. I heat my milk in the microwave for about three minutes- partly because I like it burning hot, and party because you need the milk really hot in order for the nutella to dissolve. 

2. Use your spoon to get a massive lump of nutella out of the jar and stir into the milk.

3. It does take a fair amount of time to dissolve the nutella, which is why you need the super hot milk. But it's so worth it in the end. 

BLOGMAS DAY 19- PRESENT WRAPPING

Friday 19th December 2014

6 sleeps till Christmas

'Do Not Open Until Dec 25th' tape- Marks & Spencer

Wrapping paper- asorted Marks & Spencer and Card Factory

Present labels- Card Factory

'When Harry Met Sally' DVD- family present wrapping tradition

Chocolates that look like sprouts- Marks & Spencer 

BLOGMAS DAY 18- THE PERFECT SUBSTITUTE

Thursday 18th December2014

7 sleeps till Christmas

How is it a week till Christmas?

Much to my great disappointment (I believe) you can no longer buy the Estee Lauder eyeshadow duo in 'Raisins'. 'Raisins' was such a lovely duo with the perfect pink and purple colours that would look lovely on anybody. So I made my own version of sorts.

My substitute for 'Raisins' came in the form of the Body Shop eyeshadows, at £7 each these are not the cheapest of products, but they have such a great staying power and wide range of colours. For my version of the duo, I chose the colours 'Pink Crush' and 'Mon Cherry', which also look amazing on their own.

Looking at pictures of the duo, however, I think the colour 'Great Expectations' is more similar to the purple in 'Raisins', but being fair I prefer the lighter shade of 'Mon Cherry' on myself. Plus, as 'Pink Crush' is not the most noticeable colour on your lids, the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Pink Gold' could also be used if you want a more obvious look.

Left: 'Pink Crush' Right: 'Mon Cherry'

I was super proud of myself when I came up with this idea, only to find out that the Body Shop website already has this makeup tutorial, but which actually turned out to be very useful.

To wear these shadows by covering my whole lid with 'Pink Crush' using the brush on the left (see the picture of brushes below). I then put 'Mon Cherry' on the crease and a bit above using the brush on the right (see below).

I love this look for both a night day and an everyday look as the colours are light and subtle, but also have a slight shimmer to them.

BLOGMAS DAY 17- THE FESTIVE BEDROOM

Wednesday 17th December 2014

8 sleeps till Christmas

BLOGMAS DAY 16- ESSIE 'FAVOURITES TO FALL FOR' DUO

Tuesday 16th December 2014

9 sleeps till Christmas

I saw this on someone else's blog and it was one of those 'I need this in my life NOW' moments. And boy was it a good purchase. 

Essie do quite a few beautiful duos, but this one was so beautiful and absolutely perfect for autumn and winter. The 'Favourites to Fall For' definitely lives up to its name, it contains the two most amazing colours that everyone needs in their lives: 'Bahama Mama' and 'Chinchilly'.

A dark grey is a staple nail varnish colour to own. 'Chinchilly' is described as a "sleek granite grey" and I've had so many complements on it it's mad. I'd had my eye on 'Bahama Mama' for well over a year so I jumped at the chance to get it as part of this duo (plus a duo is cheaper than buying two separate colours). 'Bahama Mama' is a "warm, rich, creamy plum" and I love it. It's a beautiful berry that is perfect for the Autumn/winter months.

I've said it before, but what I really love about Essie nail varnishes is the brush. It's thick and flat and it gives perfect coverage, it's so easy to cover the whole nail in two brush strokes. The brush makes even the worse nail painter, like myself, look good.

I don't know if it's just mine or if it's all of them, but I found that 'Chinchilly' has quite a watery consistency however, like all Essie nail varnishes, it looks great after two coats.

I would definitely recommend getting this nail duo, at £12.99 it's not the cheapest of items, but it's so worth it for the two beautiful colours you get. I am so in love with this duo, I've been rotating the colours for the past two months and I've barely worn anything else.

BLOGMAS DAY 15- 5 HAPPY THINGS

Monday 15th December 2014

10 sleeps till Christmas

I've decided to compile a list of the few small, potentially insignificant, things that are and have been making me happy this year. I get quite mushy here. 

1. Having a good start at a new college, setttling in quickly, doing well, and experiencing what it's like to be happy in education again.

2. Catching up with friends that I haven't seen in a while and have missed a lot. Also spending proper time with those I see fairly often but not quite enough.

3. Laughing until I cry. Never underestimate this. 

4. Being told to 'never change' or 'never grow up'. Sounds stupid, but this makes me feel warm and happy and valued and loved and you can never put a price on that feeling. 

5. Christmas holidays next week- we all need that break. Plus I have got three massive pieces of work out the way so I am free free free this holiday and that is a weight and a half off my chest. 

Favourite Song of the Week:

The Luka State- '30 Minute Break'

Plus check out the amazing music video for it. 

BLOGMAS DAY 14- 2014 FAVOURITES

Sunday 14th December 2014

11 sleeps till Christmas

Predictably, the majority of the things seen here have appeared multiple times in posts throughout the year, and please forgive me for bombarding, and for also always using the same pictures. Obviously these are not all the favourites I have had during this year, though I do think it is a good representative sample of the best.

The Maze Runner
I am obsessed with the book and the film and that's all I'm going to say because I'm writing a main post about them. It's one of these best things in the world ever and I love love love love it.

I am majorly sorry, it didn't look this blurry on my camera.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
This product definitely deserves the hype.

Makeup Brushes
I've got really into using proper brushes in the last six or so months. I'm not sure how I ever lived and how I ever put makeup on without them.

Brushes from Cath Kidston

Body Shop Lip Butter in Shea
First things first this smells incredible. Secondly, it's one of the all-time best lip balms I have ever used, it makes my lips so super soft and moisturised. I use it over night and my lips have actually become dependent on this product, I majorly suffer for it if I miss even one night.

Planner
Everyone knows about my love for my planner. I feel so organised and in control of my life when I use it. I love it so much I'm debating buying either another one or a filofax and having two on the go at the same time.

Essie 'Grow Stronger' nail base coat
Basically it looks after my nails and stops them breaking all the time. I never bother with a top coat on my nails, but I always always use a base coat as it protects your nails from staining from your nail varnish.

Essie Nail Varnishes
I discovered Essie this year and boy was it good. What I love most about these, apart from the incredible colour range, is the brush. The brush is wide and flat and gives amazing coverage that makes the worst nail painter look like the best.

Again, unintentionally and unknowingly blurry pictures, sorry.
Lef-Right: 'After School Boy Blazer', 'Chinchilly', 'Bahama Mama'

EOS Lip Balm
It's a cult favourite in America that the UK are just picking up on (see Topshop and Urban Outfitters), and it's become my daily go-to lip balm. It's moisturising, smells great, has the coolest packaging, and I can see why everybody loves it. The dome makes it apply so nicely.

Water
This may seem a strange thing to put in a 'most favourite things of the whole year' post as water is one of those things that is essential for life, but read on. During the past year I have cut out all drinks except water, tea and coffee, so no fruit juice or fizzy drinks. I have noticed that my skin has cleared up so much during the year, and this may be due to getting older, but I also do believe it to due to the amount of water I have been drinking. We needed to acknowledge that.

Topshop Jamie Jeans 
These jeans are highwaisted so super flattering and they go with everything. They are the only jeans I wear now and they're just the most perfect jeans I've ever seen.

BLOGMAS DAY 13- CHOCOLATE ORANGE MUFFINS

Saturday 13th December 2014

12 sleeps till Christmas

Can you believe that we're already over half way through Blogmas? I'm only just starting beginning to feel properly festive and it's worrying me.

Everyone goes mad for the chocolate and orange combination at Christmas, I mean, what stocking is complete without the Terry's classic? Inspired by my love of Chocolate Oranges and Costa's orange hot chocolate, this simple cupcake recipe is my contribution to the party.

I ended up making muffins instead of cupcakes. This recipe makes roughly 13 muffins.

You Will Need:
-115g butter
-115g caster sugar
-Zest and juice of half an orange

-2 eggs
-115g self-raising flour
-25g-30g dark chocolate
-Festive muffin cases

To Make:
-Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
-Grate the half orange for the zest.
-Beat together the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy.

-Beat in the eggs.
-Juice the half orange.
-Using a grater, grate the dark chocolate.
-Using a metal spoon, fold in the flour, juice of the half orange, and grated chocolate.

-Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
-Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
-Leave to cool.

Nails- Essie 'Bahama Mama'

I am very popular with my family after making these.

BLOGMAS DAY 12- A LUSHY CHRISTMAS

Friday 12th December 2014

13 sleeps till Christmas 

I missed out on Lush Christmas last year so I was geared up and ready this time round. However, I've got to say I was majorly disappointed. There was just nothing in there that appealed to me scent-wise and I ended up leaving with a third of the things I had originally wanted.
I'm also super disappointed as I'd really wanted the 'Melting Snowman' bath melt but they didn't have it in my nearest Lush, and the 'So White' bath ballistic was no where near as nice as I remembered it, the Body Shop Glazed Apple scent is way nicer.
Controversial: I didn't buy Snow Fairy. I had it last year (I did a review back in January) and whilst I ddi love it, I do think it is a slightly overrated products (but I went into more detail back in that post).

There are two products mentioned here, but look out for the last Lush Christmas post coming up later this month for reasons you will soon understand...

Butterbear:
The butterball is my all-time favourite bath bomb, it's one of the smaller ones which I much prefer and it smells absolutely incredible. The product contains cocoa butter and ylang ylang oil (does anyone in the world know how to pronounce that), and has a vanillary sort of scent. Lush claim that the cocoa butter is 'great for nourishing and protecting your skin'.

This Christmas Lush have both the normal butterball, and the Christmas version: the Butterbear. The butterbear is exactly the same as the butterball, except it's in a super cute bear version (and it's cheaper). I'm already regretting not getting two.

The butterbear is not the most attractive or 'wow' colour bath bomb, but it smells so incredible and makes your bathroom smell amazing. I would like to live in a room made entirely out of them so I could smell them forever.

Dashing Santa:
I didn't actually go into Lush with the intention of buying this one, but it smelt too good to let it pass. The Dashing Santa bath bomb contains bergamont and manadrin oils and has a beautiful citrus smell with a hint of something else.

This bath bomb makes your bath a beautiful, festive pinky-red colour that smells so good and gears you right up for the Christmas season.