What I Got For Christmas 2019

What I Got For Christmas 2019 

Today I am going to tell you all about what I got for Christmas this year! Small disclaimer first: I have not been sponsored, nor am I bragging about what I got.  

This is what happened that day:

So from my Parents got me theres:

White Company Wild Blackberry collection

The White Company is one of my favourite brands so anything from here is always a winner. Hello there my Wild Blackberry hand lotion (which FYI incorporates Blackberry, Rhubarb and grapefruit, ). As with lots of the other White Company products, these smell fresh and like an absolute dream.

Jo Malone London Orange Blossom Cologne, 100ml

A very fresh scent for the spring it remind me of the Orange trees in Seville Spain where I went to this year. Very beautiful sophisticated Sleek packaging. 

My uncle and aunt got me is:

Rituals Gift Set The Of Happy Buddha With a Luxury Keepsake Box

I got this gift set from my uncle and aunt and  I'm very pleased with the look of it which is very classy and tasteful with its orange, gold and red colour scheme - both the presentation box and also the individual packaging etc. complete with their 'Rituals' logo. Although I have not actually tried the products yet but the sent of it is very nice, quite subtle, sultry and would suit anyone.

Happy Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve

Happy  Christmas Eve

MY WINTER BEAUTY SAVIOURS.

 

With the full effects of winter still to come, I’ve put together a winning edit of beauty staples to see you through (mostly) unscathed. Thank me later…

Stock up on staples…

‘Tis the season for lizard-legs and pasty complexions! Winter is most certainly here and no doubt we’re all feeling the effects! Thankfully I have a handful of must-haves to see me through and I’m more than willing to share them with you so you too can feel like a glowy, silky goddess throughout the colder months.

Allow me to introduce my go-to winter beauty saviours for ensuring I’m feeling my best as central heating, lack of sun and freezing temperatures take their toll…

Glossier Future Dew*; I really didn’t think I’d get along with this, but it’s quickly become something I love oh so much. It’s a skincare/makeup hybrid, designed to give you an instantly dewy complexion but with longer-term skincare benefits too. I use it like a primer to give my skin a boost, it works like a dream at this time of year when it feels like central heating and the cold have sucked all moisture out of my face! I really rate it.

Ouai Rose Hair & Body Oil*; I have to admit, I become a bit lazy in winter when it comes to my body products… which isn’t ideal as it’s probably when I need the nourishment the most! One product I can keep up with though is this multi-purpose oil. It’s so lightweight that I can apply a few pumps in to my hands and then smooth over my entire body, including my hair. It takes seconds and since it’s a lovely dry oil, I can pop my clothes on straight away. I can get behind that kind of low maintenance routine!

This Works Sleep Plus Dream Body*; Another zero effort, big results product is this body moisturiser that I keep on my bedside table for evening applications. Not only does it help to ease you in to a sleepy slumber, it also has a load of essential oils and retinol to ensure your skin is super soft as soon as you wake. I love to apply it to my neck and chest as well as my legs and feet before I snooze.

NudeStix Cream Blush*; These little lovelies might just be my favourite discovery of the year, I am slightly embarrassed to say I slept on NudeStix for way.too.long!
The no-mess applicator and blend-easy formula gives the most perfect flush, and every shade is flattering and flawless once applied. Seen here is Salty Siren from the Estee LaLonde collection, but I really rate In The Nude and Sunset Strip too.

Ouai Body Cleanser*; Another Ouai product that I had to give a little mention to is their new body cleanser. I’m usually happy to opt for cheap and cheerful when it comes to my shower products but I knew from first use that this was something special (although sadly the price reflects that!).
Beautifully scented with just the right kind of lather, this makes my mornings feel all the more spa-like!

Bobbi Brown Lip Balm*; It wouldn’t be a winter edit without lip balm now, would it? I’m surprisingly picky when it comes to lip balms but I’ve been keeping this tin on my dressing table to apply as I do my makeup and it’s been my saviour for chapped lips lately.

The Ordinary Lactic Acid; I have to admit, I am still getting to grips with The Ordinary skincare but I purchased this Lactic Acid on the advice of my facialist and I’ve noticed good results. It’s a gentle exfoliator that you apply like a serum, but it has the added benefits of hyaluronic acid in there so it’s hydrating too! I find it’s just what my acne-prone, dehydrated complexion needs.

Smashbox Photo Finish Shadow Primer*; I always used to think eyeshadow primer was a bit of a non-event in my makeup routine, but once I realised that it was the secret to non-smudgey mascara, my life changed for the better. I have pretty long lashes (don’t be jealous, they’re as straight as an arrow!), so makeup smudges under my brows were a common occurrence before the addition of this little winner. Plus, I love the matte look it gives my lids when I’m not wearing eyeshadow, and the way it keeps my fave golden glitter eyeshadows looking fresh too.

Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Stonestreet*: One of my fave bronzers ever, this has been my BFF since coming back from New Zealand looking slightly golden. Sadly I haven’t kept my colour but at least I can fake it with this wonder worker. I’m about to hit pan on this which cements my love for it! A must have for sure.

Chanel Le Creme Main: This is probably about as luxurious as it gets, Chanel hand cream! Before trying this I cringed at the price tag, but once you know, you know! It’s an absolute treat for paws, and the packaging is straight out of a flatlay. Something for your Christmas wishlist, perhaps?

Charlotte Tilbury Superstar Lips in Princess Kiss: Gone are the days where we could wear matte lip products, the current climate means dry lips must be coated in slick, glossy products that will nourish while adding colour. This is one of my favourite shades of lipstick ever, and I love how plumping and hydrating it is – a handbag essential for sure.

What are your winter beauty staples? Have you tried any of these?

Outlander media during the wrap of filming season five!

Outlander media during the wrap of filming season five!

3 Ways to Style Your Christmas Mantlepiece

Adding seasonal flourishes to your home is a must at Christmas time and one of the easiest ways to do it is by styling up your mantelpiece - your tree can't have all the attention now, can it?

Your fireplace is a great place to start because it’s usually the focal point of a room but while it’s only a small and narrow space, it can be tricky to decide exactly what you want to do with it.

We’ve included a few options to suit different aesthetics from the colourful and eclectic to the simple and understated. Happy decorating!

Golden Glow

Christmas lights aren’t just for the tree. Add a holiday glow to your mantelpiece with ambient fairy lights, tea lights and candelabras.

Embed your lights into your garland or make an easy centrepiece simply by folding them into an empty hurricane vase or two.

Gold bottle brush trees, faux foliage and metallic accents finish off this beautifully understated arrangement.

You can also try leaning different sized decorations against the wall and layering them in front of one other for a relaxed display that feels perfectly undone, just like the stars in this festive vignette.

Scandinavian Vibes

Should you want a cosy look that still feels stylish, stick to a simple colour palette of frosty hues and gold for a fuss-free mantel with big impact.

Nordic white stars create a classic and restful mantel while the gold candelabras add a hint of opulence.

Three simple pillar candles keep the focal point from becoming too crowded in the centre and the height of the candelabras create just enough balance and symmetry. Subtle but undeniably festive!

The Maximalist

If you can’t go big at Christmas, then when can you? This mantelpiece décor is all about the f-u-n. Fill the narrow ledge with thick foliage to create depth and movement. We’ve gone for faux greenery here but you can use fresh garland if you prefer.

More is more when it comes to maximalist styling, so don’t hold back on colour and texture. The greenery of the foliage anchors the display, creating fluidity and visual harmony while the coloured baubles nestled into the garland and hanging from the mantelpiece provide the perfect contrast against dark walls.

Balance your focal point with a pair of pillar candles, vases, or lanterns at either end of the mantel to add symmetry. Finally, for a playful and eclectic twist add in a non-trad ornament like this quirky flamingo!

Styling Tips To Consider

Complement Your Colour Scheme

Tie your mantelpiece colours in with the rest of your living space for cohesion. Whether it’s your sofa, a feature wall or your artwork.

Stick to Odd Numbers

Like floristry, any visual display is best arranged into groups of odd numbers, especially threes.

Vary Heights

Stacked books and tall candelabras are great for drawing the eyes upwards into the vertical space and elevating your smaller decorations.

Try to Achieve Symmetrical Balance

Start with your focal point (the large piece that anchors your design) and build out by arranging elements either side of your pièce de résistance.

If perfect symmetry is too polished and buttoned up for you, go for balanced asymmetry instead. Just make sure you create the same visual weight on either side of your focal point.

Don’t Forget to Use The Whole Space

You can hang festive bunting or stockings across the fireplace to create visual interest below the mantel arrangement.

Add a Living Element

Festive foliage, whether it’s real or faux, will not only add life to your mantel but it’s a great blank canvas to work with. Once you’ve got that in place, you can layer it with colour, texture and light to your heart’s content. If you don’t want to go all-out holiday spirit with a full garland, you can experiment with sprigs of fresh eucalyptus, berries or branches of fluffy cotton flower.

Avoid Straight Lines

Cluster your items together, staggering some slightly in front and some behind rather than lining them up side by side. This will help establish depth on a narrow mantelpiece.

Christmas cupcakes

PREP: 20 MINSCOOK: 25 MINSEASYMAKES 12
Have fun with the kids over the Christmas holidays making and decorating these easy cakes

Ingredients

For the cakes

• 280g self-raising flour
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 175g unsalted butter, very soft
• 150g pot fat-free natural yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
  

For the frosting

• 85g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g icing sugar, sifted

To decorate

• natural green food colouring (for Christmas trees), sweets, sprinkles and white chocolate stars
• milk and white chocolate
  
   buttons and natural colouring icing pens, available at Asda

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cake cases. Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl and mix with a whisk until smooth. Spoon the mix into the cases, bake for 25 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
2. For the frosting, beat the butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar until pale and creamy and completely combined. To make snowmen, reindeer and Christmas puddings, first spread the icing over the top of each cake. Then lay the chocolate buttons on top, slicing some buttons into quarters to make ears and hats. Finally, use icing pens for the details. For the Christmas tree, colour the icing with green food colouring and pipe onto the cakes using a star-shaped nozzle, decorate with sweets, sprinkles and white chocolate stars.

Chocolate chip shortbread

PREP: 20 MINSCOOK: 20 MINSEASYMAKES 14plus chillingBake a batch of these easy chocolate chip shortbreads to pair with your afternoon cup of tea. These simple sweet treats are perfect for sharing

Ingredients

• 300g plain flour
• 200g cold salted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 100g caster sugar plus extra to sprinkle
• 80g milk or dark chocolate chip

Method

1. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter and flour between your fingers until the mixture looks like crumbs. Stir through the egg yolk, sugar and chocolate chips and squish everything together in the bowl to create a dough. Once it has begun to come together in the bowl tip out on to your work surface and form it into a flattened round puck shape, wrap and chill for 30 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
3. Roll out the dough in between two sheets of baking parchment until its 1cm thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment, and cut into 14 rounds with a 7cm round biscuit cutter. Re-roll any offcuts to make the most from your dough. Carefully transfer the rounds to your baking sheets using a palette knife or spatula, leaving some space in between them. Sprinkle each one with a little sugar. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon  Sour  Cream  Bundt  Cake

Lemon is a bright, sunny flavor that always makes me think of spring, even though I incorporate lemon into my desserts all year round. Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake is a zesty bundt cake loaded with lemon flavor that is the perfect way to celebrate any spring occasion – and simply a nice citrus dessert to treat yourself to all year round. It is topped with a light lemon glaze that boosts the citrus flavor in the cake and adds a touch of extra sweetness to every bite!

The cake has a dense, tender crumb that almost melts in your mouth, which is reminiscent of a pound cake even though the ratios in this recipe are not exactly what you would see in a typical pound cake (pound cakes typically have quite a few more eggs in the recipe). It is the type of cake that pairs perfectly with coffee or tea, either as an afternoon snack or as an after-dinner treat.

The lemon flavor comes from both lemon juice and lemon zest, with the lemon zest playing the most important role in boosting that lemon flavor. The zest is the colorful outer rind of the citrus fruit and can be removed with a zester or microplane. The zest is packed with lemon oil, which is where you’ll get a concentrated lemon flavor for any baked good. You’ll need about two medium sized lemons to get enough zest and juice for the recipe.

Sour cream is the other key ingredient in this cake, helping to create that melt-in-your-mouth texture by providing extra richness to the batter. Sour cream has a subtle tang that really compliments all that lemon. If you don’t have sour cream, a plain greek-style yogurt can be used as a substitute. In both cases, a full fat version of the dairy will give you a richer cake, although the recipe will still work with a low fat or nonfat version.

The cake is baked in a bundt pan, which should be greaased and floured before pouring the batter in to ensure that the baked cake slides out once it has cooled. When the cake reaches room temperature, you can drizzle on a little bit of the easy lemon glaze recipe below. The glaze brightens up the whole cake and gives it a nice finished look. I prefer to make the glaze a little bit thicker because I like to see the drips on the side of the cake, however you can thin it out with a bit of additional lemon juice for a glaze that can be poured completely over the whole cake.

Lemon Sour Cream Bundt Cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sour cream

Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and lemon zest and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
Stir one third of the flour mixture into the sugar mix, followed by the lemon juice. Stir in another third of the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream. Stir in remaining flour and mix until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Allow cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cake has cooled, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cake.

Makes 1 cake; serves 12-16

NEW Promo Poster for Outlander Season 5

NEW Promo Poster for Outlander Season 5 

Most Loved Beauty Products Of 2019

And just like that, we stumbled to the end of another year which means somehow, somehow, it’s time for the end of year round-up posts. How exciting.

So I thought I’d start with a handful of the beauty products I’ve been using obsessively over the past twelve months (some of them much longer). The fellas that I can’t imagine not having as part of my morning and evening routines. The heroes that get me through the day looking like a crumbling zombie scarecrow.

Without further ado, here they are…

1. IT Cosmetics CC Cream.

On almost any day this year you’ll have found the holy grail diamond that is It Cosmetics’ CC Cream on my face (sometimes with a slick of Bobbi Brown’s stick foundation on the ol’ acne, or a touch of ByTerry powder on my oily t-zone). It is, without wanting to be dramatic, fucking amazing.

The best way to describe it is that it feels incredibly light on the skin, almost like a moisturiser (although it does take a little blending in – I always apply with a brush), and yet the coverage is G-R-E-A-T. It’s an excellent day-to-day foundation, whilst also working as a great base should you want to layer up other products for heavier coverage for a special occasion.

I started off using the matte variety (which, granted, did need additional blending because it felt a bit thicker) and have since moved on to the standard tube, although there is also an illuminating one if that’s your jam.

Shop here.

2. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in ‘Fresh Melon’.

I’ve never really been one for a cream blusher (although yes, I do have a flirty dabble with Glossier’s Cloud Paint from time to time), mostly because I don’t like getting my hands involved in my make-up application.

WELL IT TURNS OUT YOU CAN USE A BLUSHER BRUSH ON CREAM BLUSHERS. Sounds obvious. Never considered it before. Bit of a gamechanger. Would recommend. Seems to make my blusher look more natural, make my skin look fresher and like it has a natural flushed glow, and also takes about 15 seconds. Huzzah!

Shop here.

3. Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid.

I was introduced to this heavenly product by the way of Jessica Diner’s Instagram stories (she’s the Beauty and Lifestyle Director at UK Vogue and admitted to buying three bottles of the stuff when it came back in stock for fear of running out).

It’s stocked on Beauty Pie, so you need a membership to buy it. (I pay £10 a month, but it’s worth noting that you can get your first month free). As someone with combination (but mostly oily) skin, it is the thing of dreams. I often find moisturisers can be too oily on my skin, but without any hydration my skin gets a bit dried out and my make-up doesn’t apply as well. This is the meet-in-the-middle product, it leaves my skin plump and full of the good stuff, without clogging my pores. An added benefit of hyaluronic acid is that it reduced inflammation and redness, so super handy for healing spots.

Shop here.

4. Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser.

Having just purchased my 4th bottle of this stuff I thought it probably deserved a mention in this post. The best thing about it is that it’s completely un-noteworthy. It’s simple and a bit boring but I am a girl obsessed. It has no sexy scent, but it leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and it works beautifully as a second evening cleanser or as a morning cleanser. Plus, it’s not at all foamy so doesn’t give skin that horrible tight and dry feeling afterwards. Absolute perfection on oily skin!

Shop here.

5. Paula’s Choice BHA Exfoliating Liquid.

This is a product which I mention time and time again, but for good reason. It is an absolute miracle worker if you’ve got oily, spot-prone skin, and whenever I run out, I really notice the difference overnight of not having it in my skincare routine. It’s a lotion applied to a cotton wool pad after cleansing but before moisturisers or serums and the salicylic acid in it exfoliates the skin and removes dead skin and unblocks pores. I use it it morning and night, but for more sensitive skin it can be used just once a day. It makes my skin brighter, smoother, glowier and helps spots heal quicker. I bloody love it.

Shop here.