Showing posts with label festive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label festive. Show all posts
I am all about the glitter eye shadows during the party season and i have a few favourite products which get a lot of attention this time of year.
First off is my baby palette which i whip out every year, the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette which has some of the best shimmer gold shades. It has everything you would need for a smokey eye or a simple shimmer lid and the shades are so pigmented, especially for shimmers. You can make some easy quick looks with this palette and it is good to travel with for a weekend away for a special occasion.
Another palette from Urban Decay is the Naked Heat palette which is a mix of shimmer and matte red, orange and burgundy shades which i have fallen in love with. I really like the look of a burgundy eye and lip, which really suits my features and makes it look like i have out a lot of effort into my makeup.
The last palette in the post is the Revolution Iconic Pro palette which is super old now and basically a dupe for the Naked 2 palette but i use it just as much as the Naked version. I like to mix between the two palettes and create different looks. The packaging has changed for this palette but the shades are the same so it is worth a look if you are on a budget.
When i switch it up to a cream shadow i like to use the Collection Glam Crystals in shades divine and Envy. I like to use these cream shadows on their own or as a base underneath a powder shadow. You can either apply a thin layer for a subtle shimmer or a few layers to really build up the colour. During the day when i don't have much plans but i want to look a bit festive, i like to use these cream shadows to add a pop of colour which is subtle.
Another cream shadow i love are the Max Factor Excess Shimmer pots (similar) which are super easy to apply and look so pigmented on the lids. You can either use your fingers or a makeup brush to apply these pots but i do tend to just use my fingers as it blends out much quicker and easier.
Lastly i have the PS Bronze Metallic Eye Cream which is a rich gold shade which is really pretty. I don't use this as often as i use the Max Factor Shadow but that is mainly because the Max Factor product is my favourite cream shadow and is the easiest to apply.
My eye makeup doesn't change up very often as i don't tend to buy a lot of eye makeup, so i like to try and make lots of different eye looks with the palettes I've got. I'm a little more adventurous then i used to be so hopefully one day i will move away from earthy nude shades.
What is your go to festive eye look?
It's that time again where I list all the movies and TV shows i will be watching over Christmas and this year i will actually have the time off to watch them! I can't wait!!
Christmas Eve
The Grinch - ITV - 12:55pm
Monsters University - BBC1 - 1:20pm
Shrek the Halls - ITV - 2:55pm
Mary Poppins - BBC1 - 5pm
Despicable Me - ITV2 - 6pm
Miracle on 34th Street - Channel 4 - 6pm
Michael Buble: Back for Christmas - Channel 5 - 9:30pm
The Lady in the Van - BBC2 - 10pm
Christmas Day
Wallace and Gromit in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit - BBC1 - 11am
Peter Pan - ITV2 - 11:20
Arthur Christmas - Channel 4 - 1:45pm
Monster Inc - ITV - 4:10pm
Elf - ITV2 - 5:40pm
Mary Berry Country House At Christmas - BBC2 - 6:35pm
Michael McIntyre 's Big Show - BBC1 - 6:45pm
The Greatest Showman - Sky One - 6:45pm
Call the Midwife - BBC1 - 7:45pm
Jurassic World - ITV2 - 7:45pm
The Great British Bake Off - Channel 4 - 8pm
Torvill and Dean - ITV - 9:15pm
Bridget Jone's Diary - ITV2 - 11:30pm
Boxing Day
Happy Feet Two - ITV2 - 10:45am
Bridesmaids - ITV2 - 9pm
Dirty Dancing - Channel 5 - 10pm
Love Actually - ITV- 10:20pm
The Green Mile - Channel 4 - 11pm
30th of December
Les Miserables
New Year's Eve
What Women Want - Channel 5 - 11:45am
Casper - ITV2 - 2:40pm
Maleficent - BBC1 - 4:15pm
Despicable Me 2 - ITV2 - 4:35pm
New Year's Eve - ITV2 - 6:40pm
Take That Live: Wonderland - Sky One - 8:20pm
Absolutely Fabulous The Movie - BBC - 9pm
TOTP2 - BBC Four - 10pm
New Years Day
Nanny McPhee - ITV2 - 3:45pm
Sister Act - Channel 4 - 5:55pm
Minions - ITV2 - 6:15pm
Doctor Who - BBC1 - 7pm
What are you going to be watching over Christmas?
Since the year 2010 i have spent my Christmas eves, boxing days and new years working in a shop and wishing i was like my family who spent all those days together. Having Christmas day and new years day as one of your two days off a week really kills your Christmas spirit. I've tried to not let it get me too down over the last 7 years and to be completely honest, after so many years it was all i knew.
Now after 7 long years i am finally out of retail and have a traditional break, i couldn't be more excited! My office are breaking up on the 21st of December and are not reopening till the 2nd of January, this is completely strange to me so it will be a shock to the system. I might not know what to do with my 11 days off. I am making the most of my weekends this month and attending the early Christmas markets, they are the best things ever! All the cute shops, great food and Christmas music.
Here is a little itinerary of my next two months with a few events I've already gone to from the start of the month.
#3rd November
Bonfire Night at Wickstead Park
#10th November
Northampton Winter Food Festival
#17th November
Higham Ferrers Christmas Sparkle
#24th November
Towcester Christmas Fayre
#1st December
Birmingham Christmas Market
#20th December
Work Christmas party at Barton Seagrave Hall
#Christmas Eve
Spending the day round my parents making sure we have everything ready for Christmas day
#Christmas Day
Christmas at the brother in laws house with all the family and a sleepover
#Boxing Day
Scanning the internet for some boxing day deals in my pj's eating the left over food
If i can bring myself to actually step foot in a shop after Christmas you may see me having a look in the sale sections. I have decided if i actually want to be on the other end this year, i know how crazy shoppers can be at Christmas.
We went to Stagsden Christmas Trees in Bedford which is basically 10 minutes away from the main Bedford roundabout. The small little inside shop sells everything from baubles, reefs, tables decorations and everything in between. I love cute little Christmas shops like this and had a good look round for some more house decs. I picked up a super cute white fur squirrel with tinsel wrapped around his neck which matches another two white animals we purchased from The Range previously. |I am planning on doing a Christmas Dec haul once we have all we need. I find in these kind of shops you find really special house ornaments and decorations that you keep for years and my little squirrel is definitely one of those.
Once we had a little shop inside we made our way in to the forest of Christmas trees which was just magical! Having grown up loving Christmas trees walking through a forest of thousands of them was definitely unreal. There were so many different types of trees to choose from, if it was me I don't know if I would have been able to choose to be honest. I did end up taking quite a few photos in the trees because who wouldn't?! I feel like this might be a yearly tradition now even just to tag along.
For those who are interested this is the tree Cal and I bought, we aren't getting it till after the 10th of December which way is too late for me which is why I have a second little white tree in our bedroom to keep my going till my main one arrives.
Last year I wrote a post talking about everything I wanted to watch over the festive period and you guys really liked it so I've decided to do it again this year, the best part of it all is I actually have Boxing Day off for the first time in 5 years so I can actually sit in my pj's all day and watch tv!
Christmas Eve
- Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave - BBC2 - 11am
- Despicable Me - ITV - 11:20am
- A Christmas Carol - BBC1 - 11:30am
- Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - ITV - 1:30pm
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Casplan - BBC1 - 2:15pm
- Shrek The Halls - BBC1 - 4:30pm
- Penguins of Madagascar - BBC1 - 4:50pm
- Michael Mcintyre's Big Christmas Show - BBC1 - 7:25pm
- The Victor of Dibley - BBC1 - 10:50pm (what a classic!)
Christmas Day
- Despicable Me - ITV - 9:55am
- Movie - BBC2 - 10:20am
- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas - Channel 4 - 10:50am
- The Croods - BBC1 - 11:50am
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - ITV - 11:55am
- Top of the Pops Christmas - BBC1 - 1:50pm
- Frozen - BBC1 - 3:10pm
- DOCTOR WHO!! - BBC1 - 5:45pm
- Dallas Buyers Club - Channel 5 - 10:30pm
- Love Actually - ITV - 11pm
Boxing Day
- The Flintstones - ITV - 9:25am
- Liar Liar - ITV - 11:05am
- Brave - BBC1 - 2:40pm
- The Gruffalo - BBC1 - 4:05pm
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - ITV - 4:10pm
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - Channel 4 - 4:10pm
- Pitch Perfect - Channel 4 - 11:10pm
New Years Eve
- Mannequin - ITV - 11:30am
- The Restoration Man - Channel 4 - 3:20pm
- Top of the Pops New Year - BBC1 - 5:20pm
- What Women Want - BBC2 - 7pm
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - ITV - 9pm
So I have been a naughty girl and opened all of my W7 advent calendar today because I was too excited to wait. I'm not usually a impatient person but I was really excited for the lipsticks so gave into my impulses. You get 24 beauty products in the calendar and within that you get 1 mascara, 3 nail glitters, 5 nail polishes, 6 lip glosses and 8 lipsticks. I already have some w7 mascaras and palettes in my collection so I knew I would like their other products.
The mascara you get is the Eyelust mascara which is you have been around a long time you will remember I wrote about back at the beginning of last year. The wand is absolutely huge and gets every lash which makes it great for a quick application so I am really happy that I have a new one now.
I got 3 nail glitters in the calendar in the colours white, silver and multi coloured. I don't have many nail glitters in my collection so I am excited to use these and hope I don't make an absolute mess. I got 5 nail polishes which I am a big fan of already. I already have used two today to give me a festive vibe. W7 are definitely loving pink in this calendar as I got 3 different shades of pink and luckily I would wear all of them. I also got a bright red shade and a red glitter shade which I am wear on my nails now. They are very season appropriate and look amazing on. I am really impressed with the consistency of the glitter as I find that some glitter nail vanishes can need a good few layers to look remotely glittery, but with this glitter I only do my usual 2 layers.
I got 6 lip glosses and I am really impressed with these already after swatching them. I got two nude shades in the calendar and when I first looked at them I thought oww thats a bit rubbish but after I swatched them I fell in love. They are super pigmented and one is a light brown nude and the other is a more pinky nude. I was amazed by them so can't wait to wear them. I also got a clear lipgloss which you can never have enough off to throw in your bag and a really light baby sparkley pink which isn't normally my style but looks super lovely on the lips. I have quite big dark lips when they want to be and I thought the pinky vibe to the gloss wouldn't show up on my lips but it does and I absolutely love it. Lastly I have two dark pinky/browns which are right up my street and are very welcomed into my collection. The lighter shade have sparkles in it which is also a nice touch.
Now for the main event, the real reason I opened all the calendar in one day and what I have been so excited to open... The lipsticks!! I got 8 lipsticks in a range of shades from a nude to a peace to a red to a dark mauve. All the shades are gorgeous and really wearable so I am super to wear these shades out especially the nude shade. You know how much I love nudes now. The thing I like most about the lipsticks and the nail polishes is the size of them. For someone with small lips and nails application can be tricky and messy but with a smaller product it is so much easier! Also the lipsticks are super easy to chuck one, two, all of them in my handbag in case I need them.
The last thing I got in my calendar is the Honolula bronzer which is super small in super cute packaging and looks like a great shade to contour. It is meant to be a copy of Benefits hoola but it reminds me more of the NYX eye shadow that everyone uses to contour. I am super excited to use this!
So that is all I got in W7 advent calendar and I love it lots. I want to thank my sister who bought it for me for November cause she is legend. If you have any posts on other beauty calendars leave your links below!
The mascara you get is the Eyelust mascara which is you have been around a long time you will remember I wrote about back at the beginning of last year. The wand is absolutely huge and gets every lash which makes it great for a quick application so I am really happy that I have a new one now.
I got 3 nail glitters in the calendar in the colours white, silver and multi coloured. I don't have many nail glitters in my collection so I am excited to use these and hope I don't make an absolute mess. I got 5 nail polishes which I am a big fan of already. I already have used two today to give me a festive vibe. W7 are definitely loving pink in this calendar as I got 3 different shades of pink and luckily I would wear all of them. I also got a bright red shade and a red glitter shade which I am wear on my nails now. They are very season appropriate and look amazing on. I am really impressed with the consistency of the glitter as I find that some glitter nail vanishes can need a good few layers to look remotely glittery, but with this glitter I only do my usual 2 layers.
I got 6 lip glosses and I am really impressed with these already after swatching them. I got two nude shades in the calendar and when I first looked at them I thought oww thats a bit rubbish but after I swatched them I fell in love. They are super pigmented and one is a light brown nude and the other is a more pinky nude. I was amazed by them so can't wait to wear them. I also got a clear lipgloss which you can never have enough off to throw in your bag and a really light baby sparkley pink which isn't normally my style but looks super lovely on the lips. I have quite big dark lips when they want to be and I thought the pinky vibe to the gloss wouldn't show up on my lips but it does and I absolutely love it. Lastly I have two dark pinky/browns which are right up my street and are very welcomed into my collection. The lighter shade have sparkles in it which is also a nice touch.
Now for the main event, the real reason I opened all the calendar in one day and what I have been so excited to open... The lipsticks!! I got 8 lipsticks in a range of shades from a nude to a peace to a red to a dark mauve. All the shades are gorgeous and really wearable so I am super to wear these shades out especially the nude shade. You know how much I love nudes now. The thing I like most about the lipsticks and the nail polishes is the size of them. For someone with small lips and nails application can be tricky and messy but with a smaller product it is so much easier! Also the lipsticks are super easy to chuck one, two, all of them in my handbag in case I need them.
The last thing I got in my calendar is the Honolula bronzer which is super small in super cute packaging and looks like a great shade to contour. It is meant to be a copy of Benefits hoola but it reminds me more of the NYX eye shadow that everyone uses to contour. I am super excited to use this!
So that is all I got in W7 advent calendar and I love it lots. I want to thank my sister who bought it for me for November cause she is legend. If you have any posts on other beauty calendars leave your links below!
The festive season is the only time when I really make an effort in dressing up and having a social life. I love spending my nights curled up in bed watching a film with a face mask on. But when it comes to December time my party animal comes out, in the sense that I go out for one Christmas party and then spend the rest of the month eating food on the sofa with my family. Told you I was a party animal!
Here are 3 of my favourite party heels for the festive season that goes good with any party outfit especially a little black dress which I love. The first heels are these very in your face red glitter peep toe which I bought about 5 years ago to dress up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. They are so pretty and perfect with a LBD and a red lip. These are from Newlook and they are 5 years old but I have found two similar styles here and here.
Lastly I have my most recent pair of shoes of shoes which are my most comfortable party shoes I own. These shoes look gold in some lights and silver in other lights so you could wear any accessories with these shoes, which make these really easy to style. They also go great with my favourite outfit... a LBD of course. You can find a similar style here.
This post is the second part of my festive nail series where first of all I showed you my favourite Newlook festive nail polishes, today I'm going to show you my favourite festive nail polishes from other brands.
Starting with one of my all time favourite nail vanish brands Barry M I have two polishes that are perfect for this season. The first is called Amethyst Glitter which I can't seem to find anywhere which is such a shame but I know there will be a load of glitter nail polishes in the shops this season so you wont miss out. This is a spitting image of Multi by Newlook but the partials inside are a little bit more smaller so they might be a little easier to work with if you have quite small nails. The other Barry M shade is this gorgeous vibrant glittery gold which is so gorgeous and is such high quality. All Barry M nail vanish are great quality but this gold really packs a punch, this polish can be used by itself I just usually do one coat and then top it up after it has dried to really make it stand out. It is also a bright gold shade so it would suit any gold jewellery you were wearing. I am so in love with this shade.
Another brand which is amazing for nail polishes is Models Own which like Barry M you can find in most Boots or Superdrugs and has a huge range of polishes. I have two glitter polishes by them which are amazing, I find with most glitter polishes they last seriously long compared to normal polishes and these two are no different. The first is a bright blue aqua shade called Aqua Splash and is very unusual which is why I like it. This might be a little out there for everyday use but during the Christmas time if you have a gorgeous aqua blue dress this polish would look lovely with it. The other polish is a glitter black with super small silver glitter mixed all in plus slightly larger silver glitter octagons.
This liquid lipstick is so luxurious and perfect if you are planning on painting the town red all night (see what I did there), it lasts all night and doesn't need any topping up which makes it great for a night out. This is a great pinky red which I like to pair with a red lip liner and a soft contour on the cheeks. This is a product that rarely lives my makeup draw to be honest because it is a very eye catching colour on the lips and I don't feel like I can get away with it on a daily basis, but for a night out it is perfect for drawing attention.
This red lipstick is gorgeous in every way. The product is so hydrating and moisturising on the lips which I don't find with many other red lip products. I love having this product on my lips and the three shades that I have in my collection are really loved. It feels more of a lip balm then a lipstick when it is on your lips which is the main reason I love it as I have severely dry lips. This does bleed if you don't use a lip liner and you do have to be careful not to go crazy with the tub otherwise you will end up with lipstick all over your chin, but this is my truest red shade so this is what I like to call my 'party girl red'.
This lipstick is an old favourite of mine and I mentioned it last year in my Autumn Red post and a year later it is still one of my favourites. It is super long lasting, great for a night out on the tiles and easy to reapply on the go. This is a red shade which has pink undertones in it similar to the Dior Fluid Stick but doesn't have as much as a impact. This is my 'can't go wrong' throw it in the bag lipstick which come in very handy during this season.
Do you have any recommendation for great red lipsticks for dry lips?
I love scanning Pinterest for festive nail designs during this time as they are my favourite styles to look at with all the glitter and sparkles. I wish it was acceptable to wear glitter nail vanish all the time but lets be honest if I wore a bright blue glitter nail polish during summer I think I'd get funny looks. Last year I treated myself to a gift set of festive nail vanishes from Newlook. You all know I love Newlook make up and their nail vanishes are just as good as the products I rave about.
In the set you get 7 different polishes which are all wearable and great quality, two are stand alone shades and the other 5 can be worn together as a base coat and a top coat of glitter (Deep Pink with Multi or Pink Pattern on top and Silver with Crystal on top). Deep Pink is a lovely glittery red with a hint of pink in which I was wearing in the photos for my October Favourites Post. This can be worn by itself for a pretty red nail and lip combo or with these two gorgeous glitter shades on top to really make your nails pop. Pink Pattern is a perfect bright glitter overload top coat which is a perfect shade for Deep Pink and Multi is a crazy colourful glitter top coat which has every colour imaginable in the pot! Both of these glitter top coats are great quality and I usually use two top coats of the glitter to make sure the glitter is evenly distributed.
At Christmas time I either go crazy on the gold or crazy on the silver, both are perfect for the festive period and some times good quality silver nail vanishes can be hard to get hold of, they either don't apply well or don't make a solid coat. This silver polish applies evenly and looks so metallic on the nails which is perfect for this season. To add an extra punch I love popping the Crystal polish on top to add even more glitter and sparkle.
My two bright stand alone shades are Bright Blue which is as you can guess a glittery bright aqua blue which is unlike any colour I have seen before. It has a hint of green to it and sparkles like crazy as you move your fingers. My last polish is a deep purple glitter which stands out so much it is perfect for a crazy dark gothic festive look. This shade has been perfect for wearing on my toes during the last month as it is the right colour for the season and makes my nails look really put together when all I've really done is whack a bit of polish on them.
I love Newlook products we all know that and they have recently re-branded (again) their range so hopefully they will bring out another nail polish gift set which amazing colours like these again. I will be sure to link them on my twitter or Instagram for you once I find them! What are you favourite festive nail products? Watch out for a second post on some of my favourite festive nail products from other brands and expect lots more glitter!
There are many reasons why I love the Christmas time and since we are only 2 weeks away from the big day, I thought it was about time my blog got a sprinkle of festive cheer! So put your most Christmas-y pjs on, grab a cup of tea and a mince pie and sit back and indulge your festive side.
- The dark mornings - Unpopular opinion I know but I love waking up on a dark morning, it helps me fall back to sleep on my days off and I feel much more cosy in bed.
- The cold weather - I love an excuse to wrap up in a big fluffy coat, a big scarf and a bobble hat.
- The mince pies - I can eat a whole tray in one day, I'm not even sorry.
- The novelty pjs - They always feel more cosy and warmer than normal pjs.
- The Autumn candles - You have to have a candle burning every evening or its not really Christmas.
- The fairy lights, tinsel and baubles on the Christmas tree - Who else loves sitting next to the Christmas tree doing nothing but getting excited for the big day?
- The treats - I always engorge on way too many naughty treats at Christmas but I tell myself that it is Christmas and I am allowed to go a little crazy on food.
- The festive videos - I love watching YouTube videos with festive backgrounds and everyone's vlogmas's, they get me even more excited for Christmas.
- The presents - Now I don't mean getting loads of presents yourself, I love Christmas shopping for other people and then giving them the presents, especially if it is something I have had hidden in my room for weeks waiting to give it to them. Nothing feels me with more joy when someone likes the gift I bought for them.
- The party outfits - I love getting dressed up for a Christmas party or helping people pick outfits for theirs.
- The festive makeup - Never is it more acceptable to wear glitter eye shadow then at Christmas.
- The Christmas films - I have so many favourites that I watch over and over again.
- The glittery shoes - Lets admit we all have at least one pair of tacky glitter shoes that we bought for Christmas.
- The family evenings in - Sitting in front of the fire with your family who you might take for granted for most of the year.
- The Christmas jumpers - the tacker the better.
- The Sunday cooking/baking - During this time it is acceptable to spend your whole day off baking or cooking something tasty!
- The boots 3for2 offer - That is great when you need to buy people presents.
- The turkey dinner - With lots of extras!
- The Christmas Songs - They are the only thing that gets me out of bed some days!
- The Top Of The Pops Christmas special on Christmas Day - My family watch this every Christmas day, its a tradition for us.
- The Doctor Who Christmas special - That ones just for me really, i'm a secret geek...
This list could go on forever if I continue so I will leave the list here, I hope I have gotten you in some sort of festive mood and if I haven't I make it my mission to do that by Christmas Day! If you have any Christmas related posts leave me your links lovelies I'd love to read them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
