Perfectly Iced: 12 Days of Blogmas 10.

If you've had enough of red talons, going all ice queen is a great alternative if you still crave a bit of festive sparkle. 

I'm a big fan of the Sinful Colors range as they're great for a cheap thrill without compromising on quality. 

I plumped for 101 Snow Me White & 923 Queen of Beauty. It's like glittering icicles on your fingernails! Neither colour are something I'd use often so £1.99 is perfectly priced for a whimsical polish. 

How are you painting your nails this Christmas? 

xx

Lush Best Wishes: 12 Days of Blogmas 8.

If you want a touch of magic in your bath at Christmas, Lush is the place to go. The gift sets are always adorable and the Best Wishes box is no exception. 

It comes with three scrumptious treats: 

Luxury Lush Pud Bath Ballistic

Snowcake Soap

Golden Wonder Bath Ballistic 

Each treat makes for an extra special bath time, for you or a lucky friend! 

Find it HERE.

xx

All Wrapped Up: 12 Days of Blogmas 1.

Once I've found the perfect present, wrapping it up gives me just as much joy. To start off the 12 days, I'm sharing a few wrapping ideas and bits that I'll be using to wrap Christmas up this year.

I'm a big fan of East of India for all my ribbon and tags. It's kitschy but classic and has formed my theme this year. I've also got crafty with my Christmas Graze box, using the cute printed cardboard to make thrifty but adorable tags.

Pretty packages in brown paper has definitely become an 'of the moment' theme but don't get sucked into to buying brown wrapping paper for an inflated price. I picked up this roll of packing paper for a very reasonable price. Even cheaper options are available but I think this grade of paper strikes the balance between good value and presentable.

Not everyone is blessed with wrapping skills, so if you want an easy option that will still pick up points. I fell in love with this mini hessian Santa sack from a local gift shop but have found a similar one here. If you're looking for a more purse friendly option, I think this large gift bag from Tesco is just as sweet.

For those final touches, I picked up this adorable wrapping and mailing set that I can't wait to use. Girl loves an ink stamp...

Happy Wrapping! 

xx

Rimmel Stay Matte.

For many it's tried and true. For me it's a new discovery. To cut a long and tedious story short, my MAC MSF Natural finally bit the dust, I baulked at the price (Why is MAC sky-rocketing up the price at such an alarming rate?) and decided to give Rimmel Stay Matte Powder a go. I don't rely on powder enough to justify spending lots of hard earned pennies on it so if I can downgrade and still achieve the result I want, why not? 

The only slight issue I had was choosing the right shade. As I only lightly sweep powder over my face to set my make up I knew I wasn't going to pack it on, but I still wanted to avoid a ghost face/orange face drama. I eventually settled on 001 Transparent, which suited my depressingly pale tones. 

So, does it do anything the MAC MSF Natural doesn't do? Nope. It's a quick sweep of powder that keeps me from looking shiny late on into the day. Does it fall short in any way? Perhaps. If I was being ridiculously  picky i'd say the finish isn't quite as soft as the MSF and you can definitely see it on the skin once you've applied it. Light hand required. Does it bother me? Nope. I use powder so little that a light hand is all I require. My last MSF Natural lasted my nearly 2 YEARS. You may get an idea of my usage from that. 

For £3.99, I'll stick to the Rimmel. 

Thumbs Up. 

xx

Barry M Ridley Road.

It's not my usual style, but I'm hooked. 

Barry M Ridley Road has well and truly dragged me out of my neutral rut. 

A perfect pale mint with a concrete effect twist. I never thought i'd see the day that I fell in love with minty pebbledash nails, but it's here. 

The only downside? I've already scuffed them with concealer and cannot get it off... 

At £3.99, it's well worth a whirl. 

xx

Empties.

It's empties time again. 

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum. You know you're onto a good one when you're scraping the last drops out with your fingers. It's been a lifesaver during the cold weather but it doesn't last long, I'm considering the NUXE serum for a change of pace. 

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. This really is my favourite shaving product. It smells divine, gives a smooth clean shave and leaves your legs feeling super silky. As soon as I use up the others oils I've got hanging around, we'll be reunited! 

Seche Vite. I know this doesn't appear empty, but anyone who has used Seche in the past will know it doesn't last longer than 2/3 of the way down. I know Seche Restore is available but I just tend to buy a new bottle. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a quick drying nail... 

Vera Wang Rock Princess. I've had this perfume for absolutely ages, It's only due to resuming my perfume project that it's finally been used up. It's a pleasant scent but it's never going to be a signature of mine. 

NARS Sheer Glow. By far my favourite foundation, but at the moment my heart belongs to lighter BB and tinted moisturisers, coupled with a concealer it's all the base I need at the moment. This is a treat for a night out though.

Arbonne FC5 Moisturiser. It's a good day moisturiser but I was glad to finish it, it just isn't enough for my parched skin at the moment! 

Now for the best part, clearing it all out and staring again! 

xx

The Body Shop Chocomania.

Put your hand up if you're guilty of taking a sneaky taste of an amazing scented body lotion/lip balm/sugar scrub? I know I have... 

Now, you could accuse The Body Shop of being plain cruel when they released the Chocomania range. It is every chocoholics dream. 

I usually laugh in the face of obvious instructions, but in this case the 'do not eat' was a useful reminder. 

I've encountered many chocolate scented products in the past, but this particular range actually smells of proper chocolate pudding. It's divine. 

I won't lie to you, I want to eat it. 

The scrub is especially delicious, I've used all my willpower to not sneak a taste... 

xx

*provided for consideration

Essie Sew Psyched.

Yesterday, I was well and truly sucked into an ill advised Boots spree. Essie 'Sew Psyched' fell into my basket... 

This is the only way I'll ever wear green on my nails. It's a subtle khaki pewter mix that is a very slight departure from my usual muted tones but is a pretty alternative to my usual polish choices. Is it wild? No. Is it a new favourite? Oh Yeah. 

In certain lights this does just look full on grey, but I like that it's a subtle camo. It's the secret service of the khaki nail polish world. 

Before I launch into a full blown army related metaphor about this polish, I'll just advise you check it out. 

That's an order private!

xx

The Lipstick Project: YSL Rouge Volupte No 2 Sensual Silk

Oh YSL, Why do you have to be so damn pretty? 

This my friends, is the sort of lipstick you want to reapply in public and maybe throw a "just one second, I need to use my BEAUUTIFUL lipstick" in for good measure. 

If I was judging on packaging alone, it wins hands down. But I'm just not sold on the contents. 

It all works on paper. It's a warm toned nude that suits most skin tones and the product itself has a dreamy texture, it glides onto the lips. 

But I just can't get on with it. It clings to any hint of dry lip and has very questionable lasting power. It's a good job you actually want to flaunt this lipstick in public because you need to reapply this regularly. 

It's a definite splurge product but I don't rate it if you want a lipstick that lasts all day. 

It still doesn't mean I won't keep it in my purse just for the kudos though...

xx

Inside The Bathroom Cabinet.

Next to a woman's handbag, the contents of her bathroom cabinet are always telling. Here is a sneak peek into mine. Now, I'm only showing you the presentable shelf, it's really the only shelf that matters here.
 In many ways the contents of my bathroom cabinet are very similar to my handbag, slightly 'eclectic'. The other shelves contain a mixture of the obligatory smelly man things,  out of date suncream and paint tester pots. If I tell you I've been unwittingly carrying two cans of minestrone soup around in my handbag for the last few days, all should fall into place. If anything this post has shamed me into a sort out. 

In fact, this shelf is a major improvement on previous states. I've managed to slim it down to products that I actually use rather than things that look pretty but are largely redundant. 

Taking centre stage is my new love, the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm . Yes it's the choice of every blogger under the sun right now, but it's for a reason. This stuff is good. It cleanses without stripping and gently exfoliates without being abrasive when used with a flannel/muslin cloth. I've been mixing a little bit of the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant* in with it every other evening to just shift the slightly drier skin that the winter brings. You may have noticed the antithesis of the Emma Hardie Cleanser behind in the form of the Boots Botantics Microdermabrasion Polish. This is an abrasive mother. I use it probably once every two weeks if that. I tend to use a pea sized amount and just concentrate on the sides of my nose and forehead, I wouldn't dream of scrubbing away on any delicate areas with this stuff, you'd be red raw in no time. 

Colgate Max White One is quickly becoming my preferred toothpaste, it may all be psychological but I don't care. Whiter teeth will be mine! 

The other sneaky products hiding in the back are the Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser, my absolute stalwart if my skin is going mad. The N-Spa Melting Cleansing Gel is a top shout if you're on a budget, it working in a similar way to the Emma Hardie Balm Cleanser and is pretty well on the chemical nasties front to. If you want a similar affect but are watching the pennies, I'd suggest giving this a go. 

Finally, my little Clarisonic-a-like is still going strong, but is as elusive as ever. Keep an eye out in TK Maxx! 

What's lurking in your bathroom cabinet? 

Laura xx

November Glossybox.

This months offering from Glossybox is certainly a treat. The theme of the month is stocking fillers and despite sometimes producing products that don't exactly appear to fit, the majority of this months five would be at home in any glamorous stocking. 

In my box: 

WEI Beauty: Royal Ming Firming & Hydrating Cream 

Alison Claire Natural Beauty: Mango Body Butter

Burberry: Burberry Body Eau de Parfum

Nails Inc: Notting Hill Gate Nail Polish

Dermalogica: Daily Microfoliant 

I'll just get my least favourite out of the way, I'm not entirely enamoured with the WEI Firming and Hydrating Cream, I'm quite happy with my skincare routine and this just doesn't appeal to me. Now, I never throw my Glossybox teddies out of the cot, but I would have much preferred the Dr Jart BB Cream, as this is the second time it's alluded me and it makes me sad! 

Despite initially thinking "not another body butter", my doubts were expelled the minute I popped a little blob of the Alison Claire Mango Body Butter onto my hand. It smells divine and the pump bottle is a much better design than a big old pot, less mess and more economical use of product. Love. 

The star of the show is undoubtedly the Burberry Body Mini Perfume. I recieved a sample of this a while ago and really liked it, (click here for a more detailed review) and screams stocking filler far more than any of the others. I'll be popping this in my handbag before you know it. 

Nails Inc have always impressed me and this wee bottle is ridiculously cute. The shade, Notting Hill Gate isn't ticking all the boxes for the time of year, but a great stocking filler idea. 

I was also really intrigued by the Dermalogica product in my box this month. I've recently started using the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm and wanted to investigate a gentle exfoliant to compliment the product, and this is definitely going to be a great one to try. It's an usual powder consistency that turns to a gentle paste when added to water. I'll let you know how I fair! 

What did you get this month and what did you think?

Laura xx

Oh My MAC: Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb.

Before I begin, shall we take a little trip down blogger memory lane? If I could just cast your mind back to the heady days of MAC fantatasism, major lemming and sold out LE collections, I could reel off a list of 'must have' collections that whipped the blogosphere up into a frenzy. Hello Kitty or Naked Honey anybody? 

As far as I'm concerned, I just haven't bought (literally and figuratively  into MAC hype for a good while, I like my staples but I haven't ran sweaty palmed to a MAC counter in a good while. 

Whilst I didn't exactly plan on picking up this absolute beauty, I'm ever so glad I did. 

Enter Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb. 

After a recent disaster with my By Candlelight MSF and the gym changing room floor I've been after a replacement that isn't in danger of exploding shimmer all over my make up bag. I was originally after Dior Amber Diamond but the MAC counter caught me first. 

To paraphrase a certain 80s chick flick, it had me at first swatch. Superb applies almost like a liquid metal, it is that smooth. In comparison By Candlelight seems almost chalky. It's not super glittery, just a smooth champagne highlight. 

I've applied it on cheekbones with a stippling brush for a gorgeous night look, and don't even get me started on how it looks on the brow bone and cupids bow. Yum.  

MAC claim is lasts 10 hours, but I'm yet to put it to the test. 

So, it's nice to have a little trip down MAC hype memory lane, I think this product might just be worth it...if it was socially acceptable I'd probably coat my entire face in it. 

Available here. 

Laura xx