November & December Favourites

 

Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo

My hair becomes so dry & brittle in the Winter, I need everything I can to make it look & feel it's best. This shampoo from Garnier has really helped over the last month or so. I absolutely love how shiny it makes my hair & the scent is just lovely too.

 

Barry M Nail Polish - Red

 As it's Christmas, you simply can't go wrong with a red nail varnish. This one from Barry M is my favourite classic red which makes an appearance each year in December! I love wearing it with a glitter top coat, which leads me on to my next favourite..

 

Collection Bedazzled Nail Polish - Razzle Dazzle

 I own a lot of glitter polishes, but this one didn't leave my nails through-out the month of December. It looks beautiful as a top coat over any colour. If you still need inspiration for New Years Eve, you can check out my recent post here featuring lots of sparkly nail art designs.

 

QiBest Lipstick - 06

 I read a review on this lipstick on a blog & thought I'd give it a try. It cost £1 on Ebay & claimed to be very long-lasting & waterproof. It also has a matte finish when completely dry. I was tempted to pick up a few different shades, but ordered this one first to test it, as the postage & packaging was free. I wore it out to dinner & it seemed to last the whole evening, while I ate & drank a three course meal. I was amazed at the staying power but it did however stain my lips & took quite a while to remove it completely when I took off my makeup in the evening. However, I absolutely adore it & find wearing it totally effortless as I don't have to keep re-applying it & for £1, it's a total bargain!

 

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - Light

 This BB cream has totally changed my makeup routine. I love the formula as it applies so nicely to my skin & it's easy to blend into my concealer alongside the rest of my makeup. It lasts all day & evens out any blemishes. I'd highly recommend trying it if you haven't already.

 

Advent Chocolate

 My mum bought me a Lindt advent calendar this year & it was amazing. I literally loved opening it each morning. You can never have too much chocolate in December..

 

Music - Justin Bieber, Sorry

 Ah this song. Yes I know, Justin Bieber, you're probably thinking what's going through my mind, but seriously, I love this song (along with his new album..)

 

Events

 

There were a few birthdays we celebrated in November, including my Grandad's 88th on 17th. Every year we have a meal & small celebration at my grandparent's house. It's always so lovely to have the whole family together. 

 

In the space of the last two months, Elisa has celebrated her baby shower, gone on maternity leave & had her beautiful daughter Lily, who was born 29th Dec 11.09am! I'm literally so excited to meet our first baby within our friendship group.

 

Myself & James celebrated our 3 year anniversary at the beginning of December. I went to Gloucester (where he's studying at uni) to celebrate & we went out for dinner in the evening to Coal. It was such a gem of a restaurant, we are definitely looking to go back again soon. 

 

& finally Christmas! This is always a favourite time of year for me, I adore spending time with my family & having some time off work! December is always our busiest month with panto going on, plus films at the theatre, so some time off at home to relax is always very welcoming.

 

How has your year been lovelies? Any plans for 2016?

 

Hope you all have a lovely New Year's Eve & Day tomorrow!

 

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Life Lately #94

 

This update is full of celebrations & food! Definitely my favourite time of year : D

 

Elisa & Jamie hosted their yearly Christmas dinner on 12th December & we all brought an element to the Christmas meal. We had such a fun night, opening Secret Santa presents & playing games. Bo also made this amazing cake which was peppermint flavour. It was amazing.

 

I met up with my tea ladies the following day for our Christmas meal at our local pub. They do the most amazing food at such a reasonable rate. I had brownie for pudding & we had another Secret Santa exchange.

 

James is now back from uni! We've been working most of the time as it's been the lead up to Christmas & we have pantomime at work, but we managed to squeeze in a trip to see the new Star Wars last Friday. It was absolutely amazing! It was one of those films you come out off & want to go straight back in & watch again! So so so good, have you seen it?

 

I met up with my girls for a final meal before Christmas at Nandos last Sunday where we swapped pressies & had a catch up over some delicious chicken!

 

Last night was our work Christmas do. Myself & Nicola organised a three course meal with the lovely ladies on our box office at our local pub. I had the salmon to start, turkey for main & finally a chocolate mousse for pudding. My mum wrote us a quiz, which included a surprise baby round for Elisa as she leaves work tomorrow to give birth to bump. I'm so excited, but so sad to lose my best friend at work.. tears will be coming tomorrow!

 

Oh & look who's getting in the festive spirit.. Honey loves Christmas! She's been helping me with the wrapping this year & gets excited everytime a present goes under the tree. I can't believe how quick December has gone..

 

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas & Happy New Year! : )

 

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What I've Been Wearing On My Nails #28 - Christmas Addition!

Essie - Vernis

I think this nail polish has featured many a time on my blog but I just can't get enough of it. It's the perfect shade for Autumn / Winter & last ages on the nails.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine - Pomegranate & Models Own - Southern Lights
I just had to include a red polish as it's Christmas! How beautiful are the Barry M Gelly polishes by the way? I think they are perfect for this time of year. I used Models Own Southern Lights to add a bit of sparkle down the centre of each nail, but I'm not kidding when I say this glitter nail polish takes ages to dry. It must of been around 5 hours before I could feel the glitter had completely set.

 

Nails Inc Gel Effect - Regent Street & Models Own - Snowflake

I recently re-discovered my snowflake top coat by Models Own & fell in love all over again. I call these my 'Frozen nails' - can you see why? ; )

 

Nails Inc - Savile Row & Models Own - Juicy Jules

Another one of my favourite polishes & mixed with Juicy Jules from Models Own, it just makes such a Christmassy shade to wear on your nails. I had a weekend filled with Christmas parties & celebrations & this was my chosen design.

 

What have you been wearing on your nails this December? : )

 

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Christmas Jumper Wishlist 2015

Sparkle All The Way

This jumper just looks so soft I couldn't resist adding it to my wishlist! I'm in love with the gold print on the front.

Bambi 

How can any Disney fan resist this jumper? It's an absolutely bargain from Primark & just looks adorable on. I would quite happily wear this with pride at Christmas time!

Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe 

I can definitely see a trend with the jumpers I'm attracted to this year. They are either white or grey! This one I just thought was too cute not to include.

Christmas Tweets 

Robins are one of my favourite birds & I feel especially Christmassy when I see one in the garden at this time of year. Just look at their little fat bellies!

Coca Cola

Who doesn't think Christmas is here when they see the Coca Cola advert? This one is definitely perfect if you wanted a jumper that won't go in & out of fashion each year, it's a classic.

Polar Bear 

& finally one for the man in your life. I thought this was just so cute. I know men generally don't share our love for the extra sparkly, over-the-top jumpers, so this would be perfect. I bought James a Rudolph jumper with bells on a few Christmas' ago & he reluctantly wears it every year! : ' )

Remember to wear your festive knits for Christmas Jumper Day on 18th December to support the work of Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish UK and Save the Children! : )

* Please note this was not a sponsored post *

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Life Lately #93

Hello lovelies!

 

This is the first update for December & I can't believe I'm actually typing the word December.. where has this year gone!? & what's even crazier is it's nearly Christmas! I don't know about you, but this is honestly one of my favourite times of the year. (Mostly because we count down the days in the form of chocolate..) I'm absolutely in love with my advent calendar this year. Thanks Mum!

 

Last Tuesday I received my first Christmas presents when I met up with my girl Ricka at Bills. It was a very exciting time & we got a few weird looks from people as we exchanged gifts on the 1st December.. haha! We also had the yummiest breakfast, complete with our favourite, earl grey tea. It was so lovely to see her & even though we live near each other, with our busy schedules, it's hard to meet up over the Christmas period.

 

Last Thursday I travelled up to Gloucester to see James at uni. We celebrated our 3 year anniversary at the beginning of December, but as we couldn't be together on that day, we made the following weekend extra special. We spent the day Christmas shopping on Friday & went out for dinner at Coal in the evening. I've never been to Coal before but found it to be such a lovely restaurant, I'd highly recommend it. We shared nachos as a starter & I had the most delicious steak for main & James had a burger & fries. We has a small cosy table away from everyone lit up by a tea light. It was perfect. We spent the rest of the weekend curled up on the sofa watching TV, including The Walking Dead which James has been trying to get me to watch for a good year or so! It's not that it's a bad series, it's the fact I hate scary thing & zombies is quite high on my list.. Don't worry, I got my own back.. he now has to watch One Tree Hill with me..!

 

& finally yesterday was the dress rehearsal for panto & it officially starts today! December is always the busiest month for us at work as we have cinema screens & a main theatre + studio shows, so the run up to Christmas is extremely manic! I'm looking forward to January when I can relax..

 

Hope you've had a good week lovelies! I've been blogging a lot recently (mostly Christmas posts!) so if you're struggling for inspiration this year, make sure you check them out! : )

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Christmas Gift Ideas For Him

Chocolate & Wine Hamper 

The first gift I'd like to talk about is this hamper. Designed I think for the older man in your life, (I know my Grandad & James' stepdad would love this!) A mixture of chocolate & alcohol is the perfect combination at Christmas. It includes a bottle of Merlot & dark chocolate in mint & ginger. 

"Great Beard" Mug 

As we're all aware, beards are very 'on trend' at the moment. I know quite a few of my friends have gone down the hairy face path. This mug just put a massive smile on my face & thought it would be perfect for a novelty Christmas present.

Kindle

If you know someone that loves a good book, you can't go wrong with a Kindle. I bought one for myself last summer & wouldn't be without it (& I only read on holiday) It really is such a lovely gift if you wanted to spend a bit more on someone this Christmas.

Dumbbells

In the world we currently live in, you can't escape having fitness & healthy eating thrust upon you. These would be perfect for someone who doesn't have the time or money to spend going to the gym every week, but wants to start off the year new with a fitness boost. You can use these in the comfort of your own home, plus they come in a range of pretty colours. What's not to love? 

Armani Watch

Ah a watch. You can't go wrong with one of these. Every man needs a watch in his life, so he's never late for that special date with you!

Rudolph Slippers

I love these, I'm quite tempted to order a pair & find someone to give them too because they are just too cute! They also look incredibly soft & warm, perfect for Winter!

Sphero

When I first heard about this, I was completely baffled by it, but the more I hear about it, the more I'm intrigued by it! If you don't know what a Sphero is, it's a small robotic ball which you can control by a smartphone or tablet. You can play games with it & I thought it would be perfect if you know a 'gamer' who would like something a bit different this Christmas.

I hope this post gave you a bit of inspiration for Christmas gifts this year, I'd love to hear what you're planning to buy for the special men in your lives. I've also written a Christmas Gift Ideas For Her & Stocking Fillers post, both of which you can check out here or by clicking the blog titles : )

*Please note this was not a sponsored post*

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Christmas Gift Ideas For Her

 

Black Check Scarf
Every girl loves a scarf at Christmas. Well, I know I certainly do. This year I've picked out this beautiful one from New Look. I think it's nice to go for something a bit different to the regular plain designs. Patterned pieces are really in this year, so choose something a bit more daring! Unless you're lady doesn't own a red tartan scarf, it's a essential to any ladies' wardrobe!

 

Rabbit Watch
Jewellery is always a winner in my eyes. You can never have too many pieces of jewellery, as each piece goes with a different outfit. I saw this rabbit watch & just thought it would be perfect if you're buying for a teenager or just someone who loves animals!

 

Earrings & Necklace Set
My third gift idea is a jewellery set of necklace & earrings. These are just so beautiful, every lady likes to be treated to something sparkly at Christmas time!

 

Charlotte Tilbury Eye Shadow Palette
Charlotte Tilbury has recently soared to great heights in the beauty world & what better gift to get a makeup lover at Christmas than this gorgeous eye shadow palette. This one is called Golden Goddess & would be perfect for the Autumn / Winter.

 

Glossybox Subscription
I wanted to include Glossybox as I think it's the perfect gift. If you know someone who loves beauty, skin care etc, but not sure what to pin point as a specific gift, this would be perfect for you. Glossybox deliver monthly to your front door & you can either subscribe to monthly, 3 months, 6 months or 12 months at a time. I've heard only good things about this box & am so tempted to sign up for each time someone posts about their monthly box!

 

Fossil Sydney Ladies Purse
& finally a designer purse / bag. If you wanted to go for something a bit more special, these would be the perfect gift.

I hope this post gave you a bit of inspiration for Christmas gifts this year, I'd love to hear what you're planning to buy for the special ladies in your lives. I've also written a Stocking Fillers post, which you can check out here & keep your eyes peeled for the Christmas Gift Ideas For Him, which will be coming soon : )

 

*Please note this was not a sponsored post*

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