My Christmas Presents 2013

Hi Ladies, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and Santa brought you everything you were hoping for. I certainly am a very happy girl. I spent Christmas at home with my close family. We had an amazing dinner cooked by my Dad and spent the evening playing games and Singstar. Today I'm chilling and waiting for my god parents to come round later. Last year I did a 'What Did I Get For Christmas' post and personally, I love having a snoop at other peoples presents; so here is mine!

 

I absolutely adore the first Hummingbird Bakery Book so I was thrilled to have the latest one. There are some really incredible recipes in this book and I spent a good while on Christmas Day drooling over them! This was from my parents.

This was really my main present from my parents. It came in a huge box and I really had no idea what it was. I have been wanting a proper food mixer for so long and this is exactly the sort of thing I wanted. It looks amazing and does everything I could possibly want it to. I can't wait to start using it!

 

This is a present I knew I was having. Mum bought this a while ago and let me try it on, so I could decide whether or not to keep it. I couldn't believe that it was from Primark. The quality is lovely and it is so flattering. It is definitely a contender for my New Years Eve dress.

 

Pants for Christmas is standard procedure in my house and I love getting new ones! This year Mum got me pants from Boux Avenue which is one of my favourite places to shop for lingerie. I have a few bras from there and it is great for the larger chested ladies among us.

 

This is a present from my best friend Lauren. Yes, it is a pillow case, with a head on. For those of you that don't know, this is Scotty T from Geordie Shore. My friend and I are huge fans of the show and Scotty T is my favourite person on it. It's slightly creepy how real he looks in person but it's hilarious never the less.

This present was a total surprise. Mum and I love Jo Malone products and Mum received a bottle of cologne for her birthday in November. When I saw this under the tree earlier on in December; I assumed it was for Mum as my presents don't get put under the tree until Christmas Eve when I am in bed. On Christmas Day, I put everyone's presents into piles and when I gave this to Mum to open, Dad said: 'Actually, it's for you!' I adore the scent. I was sent a sample of it a while back and fell in love. It is the perfect mix of fruity and floral and I absolutely adore it!

 

 

This is a really sweet little gift set from Lush, bought for me by my friend Louisa. I adore Lush and this box contains two of my favourite Christmas Ballistics: Cinders and the Snowman.

 

This was a present from my best friend Alex. It is such a lovely, luxurious present. Inside this gorgeous little cracker is a 'dream' hand/ body cream that is to be applied before sleep to help you rewind and relax. It has an almost 'serum' texture and makes your hands feel lovely.

 

This was a really sweet present from my Mum. It was bought at one of our local Christmas markets and Dad filled it with mini marshmallows. It looks so cute in my room! 

 

For the past three years I have used Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish religiously. Mum said that Dad chose this out when they were shopping in John Lewis and it is a really lovely set. It contains a full sized Cleanse & Polish, 1 Muslin Cloth, a mini Skin Tonic and Eye Cream. I am intrigued to try some of Liz Earle's other products so this is a great way to test them.

 

I asked my Mum for this and I adore it already. It is a gorgeous moisturiser and smells so delicious. I won't talk to much about this as I have a review planned, but it really is an amazing product.

My CD choices haven't really been lets say, 'on trend' this year. But then again, I've never been one to care about charts etc. Most of the time I listen to Musical Theatre! These are two bands that are completely different but I really like their music. I recently got back into Westlife after Kian won I'm A Celebrity and I love Landslide and Travelin' Soldier by the Dixie Chicks, so I figured I would like their other stuff. Both CD's are Greatest Hits.

 



These were in my stocking and they are amazing! Since using them my hair feels incredible. I suffer from quite oily hair and I have to wash my hair every day but this is not oily at all (not like the name would suggest) and makes my hair light weight, shiny and oil free.

 



Earlier on in the year, our parents bought my sister and I tickets to see One Direction at Wembley Arena. Mum gave us these to remind us. I've seen the boys once before and I am so excited to see them on their stadium tour.

 



I chose this a few weeks ago and my sister and Mum got one too. I thought this was a lovely quote and looks very sleek in the white frame.

 



My Mum has a 'Stackers' jewellery box and I have always loved it. Mum bought my sister and I one for our jewellery. Mine doesn't look very full, I only really wear a few key, classic pieces of jewellery. Mum chose this colour as it is very similar to the iconic colour of Tiffany's.

 



I have been wanting a tartan scarf for ages and this one from Asos is perfect It is so thick and warm and perfect for the winter days. It is the perfect length too.

 



I have had a Mulberry Style Bayswater Bag from a discount website before and I adore it. Just before Christmas, these were on the website. (They are only on for a very limited period of time, so unfortunately they are no longer available). I chose a Mulberry Style Alexa Bag and also adore this bag. The leather is lovely quality and you wouldn't believe how cheap it was becuase the quality is amazing!

I have read lots of hype on the internet about Casestagram Personalised Phone Cases. I chose photos from key and some of my favourite events that have happened to me. Some are the photos are from skiing, meeting Union J, meeting the Script, Paris, Florida, my gorgeous doggy, my funny cat and various concerts and trips to London with my best friend Lauren. I love how no one in the world has this case and it is completely unique.

 



For Christmas this year my sister and I bought each other Pandora charms. She bought me the little Fairy Tale book and it is a lovely edition to my bracelet.

This was my main present from my grandparents. They bought my sister and I a laptop each. We are both coming to stages in our school life where it is more of a necessity. I am about to start my first year of college and soon Annabelle will be doing her GCSE's. It is such an amazing laptop and it does everything I could possibly need!

 



 

 I would class myself as quite a musical person. I sing, I am grade 5 piano and grade 3 flute and recorder. I have always wanted to play a stringed instrument so Mum and Dad figured that a Ukulele is a good place to start. Within an hour I had it tuned and had learnt 4 chords and I can't wait to keep learning.

 

As I mentioned at the very beginning of this post I was waiting for my Godparents to arrive. Well I am now writing this a good 12 hours later! My very generous Godparents bought me a Pandora Bus Charm and a MAC Pigment in Tan. A review of the pigment will follow soon.

 

If you have made it to the end- well done! This is such a long post! I hope you enjoyed reading about what I received for Christmas and had a lovely day yourself.

 

Eleanor

xox 



March Favourites

I say this every favourites post, but guess what, I'm gunna say it again- I can't believe how fast this month has gone by! I seems only a few weeks ago that it was February half term, and now its Easter half term! How time flies!

So here are the products I've been loving this month:

1. CLEARASIL PERFECTA WASH- Oh god, where to I start with this? It is just, amazing.Theirs no point messing around, it is the best face wash I have ever used! I have oily skin, and some face washes break me out really easily, but this is just perfect! I have also defiantly noticed a difference in the amount of spots I'm getting too! I am using the fruit extracts wash.

RRP: The mechanism is £12.99 (for a set including a wash) and refills are £4.99

2. BENEFIT B-RIGHT ITS POTENT EYE CREAM- In this monthly favourites, I have 3 products from the Benefit B-right range, quite frankly, because they are some of the best products I have ever used! Before I got this set, I had only really dabbled in eye cream, and I suppose I don't really need one now, but theres no harm in it! It has reduced my under eye bags by miles, and I find I barley have to use concealer under my eyes- what else could a girl ask for?!

RRP: £10 for the minis set, or original size- £23.50

3. BENEFIT B-RIGHT TOTAL MOISTURE FACIAL CREAM- Me and my friend got a sample of this some time last year, and when I finished it, I was gutted and was determined to get the proper size of it. In the end, I couldn't really justify spending that amount of money on a face cream (one day...) so I'll be re-purchasing this set in the near future! But back to the product- it is the creamiest, thickest, most lovely moisturiser in the world. And the smell is divine, as with all the range. It leaves my skin so soft, and its not lying when it says it says it brightens your skin!

RRP: £10 for the minis set, or original size- £26.50

4. BENEFIT B-RIGHT TRIPLE PERFORMING FACIAL EMULSION  SPF 15 PA++- This is the last one, I promise! Again, superb. This is a day moisturiser, and is oil free. It is the perfect base for makeup, as it doesn't leave skin with that greasy feel that some moisturisers do. All I'm waiting for now, is for Benefit to release a fragrance with the scent of this skincare line!

5. MAYBELLINE COLOUR TATTOO GEL CREAM EYESHADOW- I've done a review of this, so I wont bang on too much about it, but I have been wearing this nearly every day for the past week, and even in the scorching weather that the UK has received, it didn't budge at all! The colour is gorgeous and I have been getting compliments gallor! I cant wait to get some more shades!

RRP: £4.99

6. SOAP & GLORY HAND FOOD- I don't suffer with extremely bad dry hands, but they do sometimes feel rather malnourished, so I use a hand cream every night to top up on moisture. I love everything about this, the packaging, the smell, and the amazing product itself! Dry hands have now been banished!

RRP: £5

7. LIZ EARL CLEANSE AND POLISH HOT CLOTH CLEANSER- There's not many products that I re-purchase, as I like to try new things, but at late, I have been finding products that are becoming my 'holy grail' products! This being one of them! I've been back using this again for about a month, and my skin is really thanking me for it! It is so creamy and damn right brilliant! I recommend this to everyone, as it suits all skin types, and it just does wonders for your skin!

RRP: £13.50

8. TIGI ROCKAHOLIC DIRTY SECRETS DRY CONDITIONER: I found this at TKMaxx for a reduced price, and it is amazing! I find myself hardly ever using hair straighteners any more, so I just use this to create a sleek, shiny look. Unlike dry shampoo's it doesn't leave a white residue, it is just a clear spray. And although this sounds weird, it smells a lot better than normal sprays, as you would expect with Tigi!

RRP: £11.25 (£3 in TKMaxx)!

What are your favourites this month?

E

Review: Liz Earle Skincare

I own a few Liz Earle skincare items, and I thought I'd do a little review on the items I own.

L-R Brightening Treatment Mask, Gentle Face Exfoliator (sample), Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleaner

The mask is my mums.

I have been using Cleanse and Polish for about 6 months now, and it is my absolute holy grail skin product! It is the best cleanser I have ever used! It is really luxurious on the skin, smells lovely, and really does what its meant to. My skin is so much smoother and clearer than before. Its suitable for all skin types and is really worth a look at, even if you just buy the sample size!

RRP- £13.50

The next product is the exfoliator. I got this as a sample when I brought my second cleanse and polish. It contains very fine beads, and is better than every day scrubs I have tried previously. It makes your skin feel lovely after use, and again, smells great too!

RRP- £13.50

And finally is the mask. I'm going to be completely honest. It really does do what its meant to! You just apply it, leave it for 30 seconds - 2 minutes, and then remove it with a muslin cloth, and you can really see a difference as soon as you take it off! You skin looks clearer and all over brighter! Its amazing!

RRP- £13.50

Have you tried anything from Liz Earle?

E

xox

London HAUL!!

I have a huge haul! Oh dear, I really have given my credit card a walloping this week! But I expect most people will enjoy seeing what I have brought! I know I enjoy reading them!

So, on day 1, I went shopping in Guildford, and got lots of goodies!

I'm not really going to do a review on the products I've brought, I'll just show you what I've brought.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way trying to brag about what I have bought. I know I am very fortunate and get lots of opportunities, but I hope you enjoy it!

L-R

So, first, I repurchased another Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. We went into the independent Liz Earle shop, and the experience was lovely! We were very warmly welcomed, and were offered drinks! I also got some Deep Cleansing Mask Sponges, to remove clay masks. Mum brought the Brightening Facial Masks, and when we paid, we both got a complimentary exfoliator!

Look how sweet the bag was!



Here is the Liz Earle shop in Guildford.

Cleanse and Polish: £13.50

Sponges: £1.60

So the next thing I brought is only something tiny, but my little sister had £1 left on a Claires voucher that she didn't want, so she gave it to me. I'd seen this ring a few weeks ago, so this spurred me on to buy it!

Usually £2.50, but I paid £1.50.

Next, is my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural. The MAC counter I usually go to is so lovely. The woman who has served me on most of the times I have been is lovely, and so helpful. She matched me to a colour no problem.

My shade is Light Plus.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural: £20.50

Next, is my L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara. This is quite new, and in Superdrug, they had it half price as an introductory offer.







L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara: Usually £10.99, but I got it for £5.99.

The next thing is the new Wake Me Up Rimmel Foundation. This foundation is meant to give you a dewy glow, and wake up tired skin. I sampled this, and really liked it, as my preferred finish is dewy.



Wake Me Up Foundation usually £8.99, I got it for £5.99.

And the last thing is only something small, its a stripey stretchy skirt, I haven't got a separate picture, as it is quite self explanatory, but I wear my black and purple floral H&M stretchy skirt a lot, and stripes and 'sailor' themes are big at the moment so I thought, why not?!

Skirt: £3.99 from H&M.

So that was my Guildford haul, and as if that wasn't enough to take in, I have more! Yes, more! But this is from the time I spent in London.

So I'll got L-R like last time.

Firstly, is a Lush product. I went to my  favourite Lush store, ever! Its the one in Covent Garden, its huge and everyone is so friendly! But I only got one product, it was the ballistic in the Valentines Day line, which I wanted to try, as it will be discontinued soon! And now, I wish I had brought the Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar, but Ho-Hum! Anyway, its the Leap Frog (also known as the Frog Prince, but as this year is a leap year...) I'll be doing a post when I use it!

I wont write about the scent etc, as I will be doing a separate post about it, but it really is adorable!

Limited Edition: £2.75

Next, is only a small thing, but I have started to collect Barry M Nail Paints. I absolutely love them. They are defiantly my favourite brand on nail varnish. I know I speak about brands like OPI, but honestly, although OPI do a larger spectrum of colours, Barry M's formula matches OPI.

The shade I got is Mint Green.

Barry M Nail Paint: £2.99

Next, was a gift from my dad. We were walking down Regent Street, and me being me, was on the look out for beauty related streets. I looked down, into a street that is famous, but for some unknown reason, I had never ventured down there, and neither had my mum for a fair few years. But I looked down Carnaby Street (maybe look for an upcoming post about the shops?!) and to my absolute delight, I saw a Benefit shop! Yay! I'd never been in an actual shop until then, and Benefit being one of my favourite brands, I steamed off into it, to find myself in utter beauty heaven!

I was merly browsing the skin care section, I had heard good things, and also sampled for myself the Total Moisture Cream in the B-Right range, and came across the mini B-Right set, which I had before hand encountered on a shopping spree with my best friend. For £10 it is an absolute bargain, I thought about buying it, but, did the usual, 'oh, you might see something else you like more' so I ummed and ahed, and then decided against it.    

As I walked out of the shop, my dad tapped me on the back, and presented me with a beautiful Benefit bag, containing the Benefit set I had been looking at!

The set  contains:

Foamingly Clean Facial Wash

Moisture Prep Toning Lotion

Total Moisture Facial Cream

It's Potent! Eye Cream

Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 PA++

Refined Finish Facial Polish

For £10, its an absolute bargain! And the samples are rather generous! They are available online, in most department stores, and in Benefit stores.

Next, is something I have been in diar need of! Blotting papers. I have incredibly oily skin, and through the day, my face tends to get very shiny, so these are a good investment! You get 65 sheets in a pack.

They are from The Body Shop and are part of the Tea Tree range. I have had a bad experience with certain products in the range, but I love these! They effectively remove any excess oil.

Blotting Papers: £4.50

The next thing is something I am quite late on the bandwagon on, back in the summer, when there used to be a youtuber called MakeupMeansLove, who me and my best friend used to love! She showed some items in the Topshop beauty range. I have a love hate relationship with Topshop, sometimes I love their stuff, but other times, I think it's complete and utter bad quality tat. But I have been incredibly impressed by their makeup range, and cant wait to try more products from it!

I got one of the Creme Blusher, in the shade Flush. I have been doing a lot of research on creme blushers, and I was intending on buying a MAC one, but after seeing these in the Victoria Topshop, and remembering the good reviews, I knew this was the one for me! And for the fraction of the price of a MAC creme blusher.

The packaging is adorable!

The colour looks really bright and scary in the pan, but when applied it is a lovely natural 'flushed' pink. It is also really intensely pigmented.

Creme Blusher: £6





And last but not least, is a non beauty thing, but pretty never the less! In Covent Garden, there is the most adorable little shop called Sass and Belle that me and my mum came across sometime last year. It sells gorgeous unique little bits, and I always love looking around it!

I brought something I have been wanting for a while, and earring holder.

Isn't it beautiful?!

So that's it! This is probably the longest blog post ever, but I hope you enjoy it!

London was fabulous, and there will be lots of upcoming posts about it!

E

xox