Latest In Beauty Glamour Party Edit

I've been wanting to try one of these lovely Glamour Beauty Edit boxes from Latest In Beauty since they first started, but I'm a bit fussy and haven't wanted to buy one where I felt I wouldn't use everything in the box. Cue the latest edition, the Party Beauty Edit. I bought this as soon as it came out as I knew I would use everything in it, but have held off until now to review it because I wanted to have been using the products for a while so I knew what they were really like. I've split the box into categories to save this review from being verrrrrry long!

Skin care

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels - The first thing that surprised me was how uncomfortable these were to have under my eyes. I think the branding had led me to believe that it would be a relaxing 10 minutes, but how they felt would put me off using them again. The skin under my eyes did feel smoother and look a bit brighter, but I don't think it was really worth the discomfort!

Vichy Purete Thermale 3 in 1 and Idealia Life Serum - I had high expectations of these products as I have heard a lot of good things about the brand, but have never tried any before. I was impressed with the 3 in 1 cleanser as it removed my make up really well, left my face feeling clean and was very easy to use. I was disappointed with the serum and didn't really see any difference to my skin, although the fact that the sample size is so tiny (3ml) meant I couldn't really try it over time so maybe it would have done if I'd been able to use it for longer. 

Make-up

This is the section I was most excited about in this box. I tried all the products in one make-up look thinking that they wouldn't really work all together, but they definitely did! I was super pleased with this look and will be wearing it throughout the new year.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Black Amethyst - I usually use liquid eye liner because I can never get a neat line with pencil, but this one had a nice sharp point that glided on so easily. I don't like to go too heavy with eye liner and this was perfect for drawing a thin line. The only criticism I would have is that it did go blunt quite quickly.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Watermelon - this is officially my new favourite product! I've always used Burt's Bees products but never ventured into any of the colour ranges before - this is just like their lip balms but with a hint of colour. I may have to get one in every shade...

Collection Lengthening Mascara - I found my perfect mascara at age 16 and have never looked back so trying a new one was quite interesting - and I loved it! The brush is nice and thin and it builds up so easily - I'm only wearing one layer in the picture so it could definitely be built up more that this for super huge lashes. 

Wild About Beauty Powder Eyeshadow in Rowan - This is a nice subtle colour and great for a bit of everyday shimmer!

Lola Nail Polish in Bluebell - I really love this colour, I think I'll be wearing it a lot come spring. The only downfall of this product was that it is very thin on application so it took three coats to get a solid looking colour - but it's worth it if you have the time! The chipping time was average - I started to see slight chips after two days and removed it after four.

Hair Care

Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Shampoo & Conditioner - I've never really been fussed about shampoo - I never see a huge amount of difference to my hair whichever one I use, but these products were great. My hair felt beautifully soft and it was actually shiny, which is some achievement seeing as I have a pretty dull hair colour. 

L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray - I usually go as cheap as you can with hairspray as I don't use it that often. The only advantage I found with this one was that it smelt a lot better than any others I've ever used, but I'm not sure that alone would convince me to use it over a cheaper one!

Popband London - I was very cynical of this product, thinking that it couldn't possibly work - but it really does! I even put my hair up when it was wet and let it dry in this band and when I took it out I had lovely waves - and no kink! My hair didn't feel quite as secure as when it's up with a normal hair tie, but I'm a total convert and they look super cute too!

Body

Xen-Tan Luminous Gold Gel - I imagine this product is probably meant for more experienced self tanners than myself. I'm quite pale and I got the medium shade in my box which is probably a bit dark for me. A plus is that it smells amazing when you apply it, although after a while the familiar 'tan smell' sets in and even though it dries quite fast it remains a little sticky. With it being an almost clear gel it is difficult to see where you are applying it so mine ended up with a few missed patches - but I imagine it is a great product if you are a more frequent tanner than me!

All in all this box was such a treat and at such a great price, I will definitely be getting one again! Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you thought!

Operation Christmas Jumper

Way back in September I made the mistake of complaining to my boyfriend that I was bored when he was at work. The result was a challenge from him - to knit him a jumper for Christmas. I had never knitted anything before never mind a jumper, but with the help of Youtube I taught myself the basics and practised by knitting a scarf and a phone cover. By the time I'd finished those it was mid-November and I really didn't think I would manage to finish a jumper in time for Christmas, but... by spending literally all my free time knitting and not getting enough sleep it was ready and wrapped for him on Christmas Eve!

I'm super proud but also a bit disappointed as I'm sure you can see from these photos that it is absolutely huge! We can both fit in it which makes for a very cosy hug, but I can't imagine he'll actually be wearing it outside of the flat!

I found lots of knitting patterns were very difficult to follow, even the ones claiming to be for beginners. You can find the one I used here which is by far the simplest I've seen and is the one I would recommend if you fancy giving it a go for yourself! Although do be careful with the sizes as I knitted a medium and it's like an extra large! I suppose I'll have to find another craft to do in my spare time now so watch this space!

Birthday Advent Calendar - the end!

I usually only post on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but seeing as today was the last day of my birthday advent calendar I thought I'd share the last few days of that with you. It's been so exciting getting to open a present a day leading up to Christmas - hopefully the genius idea will be carried over to next year!

21st December - this cute mini bottle of wine - perfect for when I've got a night in alone!

22nd December - this lovely magnetic shopping list pad that I'll be able to keep handy in my kitchen - and hopefully it will make me more organised!

23rd December - Natural Collection Nail Polish in Champagne.Absolutely love this colour!

24th December - both me and my Mum have a bit of a thing for twee little hanging hearts so I'm surprised this is the only one that's appeared!

Happy Christmas!

Christmas Nail Art

Christmas is my favourite time of year for nails. I love getting creative with designs and lots of glitter! Here are a few of my favourites I've done this festive season so far:

Holly: Technic Nail Varnish in 24ct

Rio Professional Nail Art in Green 

Rio Professional Nail Art in Red

Icy Snowflakes: Natural Collection nail colour in Topaz

Barry M Nail Art Pen in White 

Technic Nail Varnish in Moon Dust

Christmas Tree: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Coconut 

Technic Top Coat in Moon Dust

Rio Professional Nail Art in Green

Festive Snowflakes: Technic Nail Varnish in Fire Engine 

Barry M Nail Art Pen in White 

Technic Top Coat in Treasure Chest

Fairy Lights: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Coconut

Barry M Nail Art Pen in Black

Rio Professional Nail Art in Red, Green, Yellow and Blue

Birthday Advent Calendar (week three)

My birthday advent calendar is nearly finished now - but then it's Christmas! I've had a truly spoilt December. This is week three:

14th December - this cute little notebook. Perfect to keep in my bag for jotting down ideas when I'm on the go. 

15th December - you can't have too many pairs of socks for the winter months. I think it'll be two pairs of socks weather soon! 

16th December - sticky notes. This is a rather fox themed week! 

17th December - Le Syrup de Monin in gingerbread - think I'll be getting my coffee machine out of the cupboard to make full use of this! Lovely and Christmassy. 

18th December - fox socks! Love these. 

19th December - Nivea Pure & Natural hand cream. I literally just ran out of hand cream so this was the best thing I could have got!

20th December - chocolate :) apologies for the appalling photo, I was in a rush! (to eat my chocolate ha ha) 

Sheepskin Love

One of my favourite trends this winter is sheepskin - I would probably dress head to toe in it if I wouldn't look a bit batty. I fell in love with a gorgeous sheepskin coat in Topshop, but it was slightly over my budget so I'm making do with sheepskin accessories instead!

Have you ever imagined something you really want, but you've never actually seen it anywhere apart from in your head? That's exactly what I did with this bag and then I actually found it!

The boots were purchased on a whim - I didn't actually need any new boots, but I loved them too much not to buy them and luckily they didn't break the bank.

Boots - New Look

Bag - Indigo at M&S

Coat - George at Asda

Tights - M&S

Over the knee socks - Topshop

Birthday Advent Calendar (week two)

Into week two of my birthday advent calendar - it is taking a lot of restraint to not open more than one a day!

 7th December - another pair of knickers, something tells me they may have been 3 for 2 so there's probably another pair to come!

 8th December - Soap & Glory Flake Away. Best. Scrub. Ever.

9th December - Natural Collection nail colour in Topaz. A very festive colour as it looks like frost!

10th December - Mini Caramel Waffles. Nom.

11th December - these super cute nail files from Santoro London

12th December - Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Cleansing Burst Body Wash - lovely little bit of luxury!

13th December - Essential Extracts Passion Flower cream bath - an excellent excuse to have plenty of baths over winter!

Winter Favourites

I'm truly feeling the cold now and these are my top picks for beating the winter weather:

Vaseline Queen Bee Honeylicious Lip Therapy - Back when I first started using Vaseline it was counted as exotic if you had the Aloe Vera version. Now there are so many scrummy ones to choose from, but this one is probably my most favourite yet. It's perfect for chapped winter lips and smells/tastes amazing!

Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint - This is something I discovered lurking in my drawer from last Christmas so it's only half full, but I'm obsessed again. It's a bright cherry red colour so makes me feel super festive and it stays on for hours without having to reapply.

The Body Shop Body Butter - I love all of The Body Shop body butters, but this is one of my favourite smells! The fruity scent reminds me of summer, but it's a very heavy duty moisturiser so is great for dry winter skin.

Burt's Bees Hand Salve - I'm totally in love with this hand salve. I love the smell and because it's a salve rather than a cream it's much easier to target specific areas that get extra dry in the cold weather like knuckles and in between my fingers.

Lush Imperialis Facial Moisturiser - I never usually spend this much on moisturiser (it cost me £13.50), but had heard good reviews about Lush moisturisers from friends. The money was well worth it. The staff in Lush were really helpful with finding the right moisturiser for my skin and a really tiny bit of this moisturiser goes a very long way so it will last ages.

Have you tried any of these products? If so what did you think? What are your favourites for winter?

Birthday Advent Calendar (week one)

This year for my birthday my parents had the best idea ever. My birthday just so happens to be on the 1st of December and this year I was the ripe old age of 24. So my parents presented me with this basket containing 24 numbered presents to be opened as an advent calendar from my birthday up until Christmas. I am so excited!

Here are presents 1-6:

1st December - This lovely patterned mug. 

2nd December - A 2015 diary in my favourite colour. This year I decided I didn't need a diary and would use my phone as a diary instead, which failed miserably so I'm very pleased to have one again!

3rd December - Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter. I love this body butter, it's heavy duty for dry winter skin and smells great.

4th December - a pair of knickers! This item felt slightly too personal to put on here, but I couldn't miss out a day!

5th December - chocolate! Need I say more?

6th December - Essential Extracts Grapefruit Body Lotion. This smells amazing!