My Favourite Things About Christmas♥

Wednesday, 20th December. It's currently only five days until Christmas and I cannot quite believe it. I have failed miserably at this whole advent calendar thing (I didn't remember to do it every day, but in all honesty, who is the real winner here when I get about four days of chocolate at once?!) but December has honestly flown past. In general, 2017 has flown past. I didn't get quite as many festive posts up on here as I had hoped, but life has been busy lately. For my last festive post, and final blog post of 2017, I have decided to sum up my favourite things about Christmas.

Festive blog props - You know I love my blog props as it is, but I love the festive aspect of it. Instead of my typical white background, I've loved using wrapping paper or gold tissue paper to give the festive vibes. For this blog post, I decided to use artificial snow in the photos, and although it looks cute, it was extremely messy! Tinsel and baubles have came in handy too, and they look pretty too!

Glitter - I have an eye for all things pretty, and sparkly, throughout the year, but glitter occurs more frequently throughout the festive period, and I love that. Glitter exists everywhere, from Christmas cards to gift bags, and makeup to decorations. Glitter is messy as hell, but it just makes everything ever so festive!

Christmas Music - Give me all the Christmas music and I will instantly become Mrs Clause. Christmas music has been played non-stop in my work, on the TV and on the radio (not to mention being played on repeat on my Spotify!) Nothing beats the old classics. My top three includes "Fairytale of New York", "Last Christmas" and "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday". I mean, new releases are alright but nothing will beat the old songs.

 Christmas Markets - I went to the Christmas Markets one day with my best friend Emma, and it made such a cute day out. I, of course, was in my element taking photos of everything, and the food smelt incredible. I didn't actually buy anything but I just enjoyed the day out. We really wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel but it wasn't even open! Unfortunately it was raining but we didn't let it ruin our festive vibes!

The Joy - Have you ever noticed that people seem to be happier around Christmas time? I mean, after all it is the season of happiness isn't it? There's always more of a buzz around Christmas time, and I love it; I just wished it occurred more often. Oh, I wish it could be Christmas everyday purely for this reason!

As Christmas is on Monday, I will not be posting. Instead, I shall be spending the day with my nearest and dearest, aka my family. I wanted to take this quick moment to say that I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and a Happy New Year. Blogsallbeautyy shall be returning on the 1st January 2018 with new energy and exciting content. I may be straying away slightly from the whole "beauty" thing because I have a lot of topics which I wish to write about, and I love writing. After all, it is my blog and they are my rules!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Lips 2017♥

Christmas and red lips are a match made in heaven. I swear the only time of the year I wear red lips is during Winter/Christmas. For someone who rarely even wears red lips all year round, I sure as hell have quite the collection. I do have a few favourites though that I always reach for regardless, but I try to mix it up a little. Last year I opted for a few different options (read post here) so I've mixed it up this year to share a few of my other favourites.

Seventeen Stay Pout Lipstick || Shade: Rule Breaker || £4.99 - I'm pretty certain that this isn't the first time that I've featured this lipstick on my blog because I remember when I first got this lipstick, I was head over heels for it. And I'm darn right to be. It's a beautiful, vibrant berry lipstick which is creamy when applied but has quite a matte finish when applied. I find that it tends to last quite a long period of time before needing topped up too. It doesn't feel drying whatsoever on my lips and is sure to make a statement.

Mac Cosmetics Lipstick || Shade: Diva || £16.50 - I'm not going to ramble on too much about this lipstick as it's been featured before. It's a gorgeous deep, vampy berry shade with a matte formula. By no means is it drying and it's staying power is immense; it doesn't smudge easily at all and I can even eat without needing to reapply. It looks beautiful against my pale skin so I could imagine it suiting a wide variety of skintones.

(Read more here).

Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick || Shade: Caprice || £25.50 - This lipstick is more on the high end scale however I am aware some people enjoy splurging out on their lipsticks, or like to treat themselves. Either way, it's a gorgeous lipstick. It applies so evenly on my lips and is a true, vibrant red. As it's so vibrant, it certainly is a bold lipstick which doesn't lack pigmentation.

(Read more here).

Lancôme Matte Shaker || Shade: Red'y In 5 || Price: £19.50 - In my opinion, the matte shakers did not receive the same amount of hype as the original juicy shakers did, and I cannot understand why because I prefer the matte shakers. These honestly ooze pigmentation, it's insane. This red is a bright and bold red, and perhaps more on the warm side as oppose to the cold side in terms of undertones. When applied at first, it appears glossy but one it has dried a bit, it definitely looks matte, yet doesn't feel any different on the lips compared to when it was first applied.

(Read more here).

Collection Velvet Kiss Moisturising Lip Cream || Shade: Rosie || £2.99 - You are guaranteed to have heard of the NYX Lip Butters. Well, think of this Collection one as a cheaper alternative. It's a beautiful, rich red which is creamy and has a decent staying power. It dries on the lips, but doesn't feel drying whatsoever.

(Read more here).

These are my options for Christmas this year. What are yours?

PS - keep an eye out for a special announcement on my Facebook page!

A Festive Makeup Look♥*

For me, Christmas makeup is just glitter, glitter and more glitter. Could I be any more right? Alongside this, I love dark lips - berry shades and reds, come at me! I also like to make my makeup a bit more defined by rocking a stronger contour and sharper brows. Some people go all out on Christmas Day with their makeup (aka me) whereas others knock about wearing none, and both are totally cool. I've created a rather festive makeup look and decided to share it with you.

BASE

Primer is an absolute essential for me any time I wear foundation. I've opted for the Primark Primer Water which is a steal and a half at £2 if you ask me. It's incredible as it does work. At first, I did worry it would be a gimmick product but my foundation is kept in tact so well. I find it exceptional at this time of year because my skin can become dull and lack hydration so this provides hydration to my skin whilst keeping my makeup in place. 

I tend to choose a foundation over BB cream during the festive periods because I like the whole "high coverage" idea, especially if I'm going for a full face of makeup, and this is why the Vichy Dermablend Corrective Fluid Foundation* is your friend. Whilst it delivers a high coverage finish, it also feels lightweight and won't clog your pores. It has such a perfect finish and blends out so effortlessly. I have the shade 05 Porcelain (the lightest shade) and it is quite a good match for me. I find that I only need to use one layer of this foundation however if you do require extra coverage, it doesn't become cakey at all. It works really well with the above primer.

Dark under eye circles or spots ruining your look? No need to worry. Although the Vichy foundation has quite a high coverage, sometimes you just feel the need for a little extra coverage. MUA Hide & Conceal Stick works perfect for concealing those little imperfections. It is creamy which makes blending so effortless you don't even realise that you're doing it. I don't require a lot of this product though because it conceals so well for the price.

Of course you got to set it all in place. Instead of your regular setting powder, I've went for this Vichy Dermablend Translucent Setting Powder* which is a loose powder. Yes, it is VERY messy but the results are definitely worth it. I always have the fear that my concealer will crease so I like to use this to "bake" beneath my eyes. I find that using a loose powder looks nicer as a setting powder rather than pressed powder because it doesn't look "packed" or "cakey", instead it leaves you with a flawless, air brushed base.

EYES

How pretty is this palette? It's the Makeup Revolution "Flawless" Palette which comes with a whopping 32 shadows - so many pretty colours to "ooh" and "aah" over, and so many makeup looks to create! To start, I quickly dusted a light brown shade through my crease (first row, second shade from the top). Following this, I went for my usual - gold - all over my lid (fifth row, second shade from the top) as my first sort of "base" colour. I started to make the outer corner darker and deeper and to do this, I combined two different shades (fifth row, bottom shade and third row, bottom shade) to darken the eye look. I also used a highlight shade (second row, first shade) to make my eye pop and appear more awake. Using the same shade as earlier for my outer corner (third row, bottom shade), I smudged this along my lower lash line just to bring the whole look together and give some colour to this part of my eye.

If I'm going all out with my makeup, OF COURSE I've got to do eyeliner. For liquid liner, I've been loving the Miss Sporty The Miaow Liquid Liner. I personally prefer to use a felt tip liner therefore I feel I can use this liner pretty easily (I say the word easily lightly because I still struggle to do my eyeliner haha). I went for a simple flick for this look as I felt it worked well with the eye look. It leaves a true black line which doesn't smudge and isn't watery or weak in the slightest. I used some kohl pencil on my waterline and just used the MUA Kohl Pencil which even though it's just a black eyeliner, it does have hints of glitter throughout it.

I combined two mascaras because I wanted ultimate definition, plus I didn't have any false eyelashes and a gal had to improvise. For length, I use the L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara* because it really lengthens my lashes. It's not too wet nor dry and doesn't clump my lashes together, meaning it's perfect to use as a layer mascara. As for my second mascara, I chose the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara* because it delivers A LOT of volume, seriously. It doesn't make my lashes appear clumpy in the slightest, and makes them look SUPER dark!

BROWS

I'm the biggest brow amateur around, so I don't do anything too fancy with them. Simply, all I do is fill them in with this Collection Instant Brow Pomade which couldn't be any easier to use. It's so pigmented that a small amount goes a long way. It helps me to create strong, defined brows in a sake of a few minutes.

CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHTING

If I wear a full face of makeup, I tend to contour then - I don't contour on a day to day basis cause ain't nobody got time for that! - but when I do contour my face to the max, I always cream contour. I like this Primark Cream Contour Kit which I managed to pick up for a cheap £3. It contains a wide variety of shades to use as you please, and whatever suits your skintone. It's so creamy meaning that blending is a dream, and there's no tugging and pulling at your skin. The results are amazing. My cheekbones are instantly defined in a chiseled way, and it's almost subtle in the way that you cannot see I have contoured as the product blends out that much.

As I have already said, Christmas for me is all about glitter, so you can imagine that I probably go mad, or perhaps overboard, with the highlight (nothing new there). The Makeup Revolution Highlight Palette in Highlight is one of the best options available on the high street. Personally, I like the first white shade because it's blinding and sure to make a statement. Because I'm pale too, it works so well with my skin. It's also extremely pigmented too so go MAD with the highlight. I tend to highlight the tops of my cheekbones and the cupids bow.

LIPS

HELLO BERRY LIPS. As you could probably guess, I have quite a stash of red/berry lipsticks, but the one I settled for is Mac Diva which is a beautiful, matte lipstick. It's so striking and bold, and is sure to make a statement, regardless. If I was to pick a lipstick that summed up Christmas/Winter, it would be this one. The staying power is phenomenal; I can eat and it stays put.

Have you got a festive go-to makeup look?

*PR Samples

A Gift For That "Tricky" Someone♥*

Candles are my weakness. I don't know how many of them I have lying around and stored in boxes, and if I'm honest, I don't want to know either. Why do I own so many? Because they're pretty, smell nice and make such good blog props. When it comes to gifts, I find that candles are a good idea. People may bash them around and say that they're the "easy" option, however, more thought goes into them than you'd think - you get personalised ones, and also need to take the scent into consideration. I don't know about you, but every Christmas, there is always a "tricky" person to buy for - admit it. 

Crabtree and Evelyn have my heart when it comes to their body products. I didn't actually realise that they did homeware items such as candles, mainly because I get majority of my candles in Primark etc. They very generously sent me out their Mini Red Berry & Fir Candle* to feature on my blog and when I saw the packaging, I instantly loved it. A copper candle? Could I be any more cliché? It came packaged in an adorable red box which screamed festive at me, and when I opened the box, the scent of this candle hit me right in the face. Literally. If I were to pick a candle that summed up Christmas, it would have to be this one. I could just imagine being curled up on a cold, Winters day watching Christmas movies with a hot chocolate and this candle burning in the room. Ah, bliss.

Personally, I just keep this sitting on my bedside table because it's just so pretty! I feel guilty for burning candles, especially when they're really pretty. For this miniature size, the average burn time is 16 hours (the large version available here for £42 has an average burn time of 40 hours), meaning that even the miniature will burn for quite a long time. Even Crabtree themselves state under the product specification that this candle would be the perfect gift or stocking filler. 

I cannot imagine how anyone could not be happy to receive this as a present. I was hooked with the packaging, but the scent itself seriously has won me over. 

Have you ever tried this candle? What's your favourite candle (or candles!)?

*PR Samples

Lee Stafford Blow Dry♥*

I do slack when it comes to hair. Sometimes I just simply cannot be bothered, and there's just no excuse for it. I have quite thick hair and the drying process can be lengthy. I need to blow dry it or else it just WON'T dry, literally. I'm always up for trying out new products, and if they claim to help blow drying time, then sign me up ASAP. When the PR from Lee Stafford contacted me about trying out their Air (or Blast) Dry range, my answer was pretty obvious to say the least.

Lee Stafford Air (Or Blast) Dry Foam* || £7.99 - When it comes to using hair products, I look for three things - A) They smell good, B) They don't make my hair greasy and C) They actually work. When it came to using this foam, I was unsure at first as to how much to use, so I used one pump. It turns out that due to how long and thick my hair is, I can get away with using two pumps. It's a lightweight formula that doesn't weigh my hair down nor does it feel sticky. My hair soaks up the product well and doesn't tangle it at all. It has the exact same scent as all of the other Lee Stafford products, making it a recognisable, distinct smell which I cannot help but love. It claims to reduce frizz but I cannot comment on this because I don't tend to experience this but I can tell you that my hair looks lush and shiny after blow drying; plus, it smells amazing and feels super soft. I believe that it makes my hair feel quite hydrated after using too!

Lee Stafford Air (Or Blow) Dry Cream Lite* || £7.99 - I find it hard judging how much product to use when it comes to a tube - with a pump I know how many pumps to use, and with a spray, I know that the product is dispersed anyways and that I don't need that many pumps. I've figured that I only need a small amount, like a 10 pence piece. I just rub it on my hands and run it through my hair using my fingers. Much like the previous product, it leaves my hair so shiny and soft post blow drying. It acts as a heat protector so that's a bonus in my books. It claims to moisturise, soften, smoothen and enhance shine, and I think that it has achieved all of these. It has the same scent as the foam, so does it get much better?

Typically it takes me between 5-10 minutes to properly dry my hair, but I think that using these maybe cuts it down by 2-3 minutes. Although it's not drastic, every minute counts - because drying your hair seriously is a chore.

I love numerous things about Lee Stafford products, including their pink packaging (I'm a girly girl at heart), the divine scent and how affordable they are compared to some high end products yet work incredibly well. There are a few ranges available meaning there is always something available for someone.

Have you tried this range from Lee Stafford? What was your experience like?

*PR Samples

Fashion Faux Pas♥

Oh haven't we all been there? A massive makeup error? Or a fashion boo-boo? No, we might not ever live it down, but we sure as hell can learn from it. I've been there with regards to makeup, wearing lipsticks that I wouldn't even give a second look at today. Goodness knows what possessed me at the time, but now I know what I like but also suits me too. I do love a good nude lipstick, but I'm always careful not to end up with "concealer lips". I had £16 left on my Mac voucher, and I had to spend it before it expired, so I figured what else would one spend their leftover money on rather than a new lippy?

 "Don't you already own that shade?" No, no I don't. I may own similar but I do not own this exact shade. Just look at the shade - it's called Faux, and it's so beautiful. It's on the slightly deeper, darker side for a nude lipstick, but you know, it works. It's a satin finish meaning it's not drying whatsoever and is uber creamy. Comparing it to Mehr for example, it has a warmer undertone which is more on the pink side, whereas Mehr has a cooler undertone with a red/brown side. How it looks swatched on my hand compared to my lips are two very, very different things. Although it can look gorgeous on the back of my hand (alongside the 20 other lipstick swatches, may I add), I was worried that it may not compliment my skintone. I guess I was wrong this time. It looks stunning against my pale skin, and it looks brilliant paired with a natural makeup look as it adds a little something to the completed look, but also works so well with a bold look as it completes the overall look without being "too much".

The lipstick comes in the usual Mac packaging, which I can't help but adore. I don't know if it's just because it's Mac's signature trade, or if it's because I love simplicity and minimalism. Maybe both. Much like my other lipsticks, it has a beautiful scent, which I can't quite pin point but it does remind me of sweets. Due to the classic finish, this lipstick looks fantastic sitting in my lipstick holder, sitting alongside my other two (I've got a miniature collection, but everyone's got to start somewhere, right?)

Once again, I have not been let down by Mac - you are the real MVP.

Any Mac lipstick (or product!) recommendations?

Ted Baker Makeup♥

Ted Baker beauty is kinda of incredible, and I'm referring to both the beauty range and makeup range. I adore both, and the packaging is of such a high standard. I hadn't really tried much of their makeup range before now, and this box I received for Christmas is a beauty lovers definition of heaven - makeup brushes and makeup, an ideal box full of goodies for someone who wishes to try out Ted Baker. I adore the packaging theme which the set follows - gold and white (a beauty bloggers dream!) - and looks beautiful in a collection.

Two absolutely stunning lipsticks were in the set - a pink nude and a nude brown. The pink lipstick is such a beautiful shade which is versatile enough to wear on a daily basis. It's girly and feminine, but it pulls together a whole makeup look. The formula is smooth and creamy, and glides on your lips as easy as pie. The nude lipstick is not as brown toned as it appears, in fact, it's more a "your lips but better" with a hint of brown shimmer throughout. I wasn't sure how it'd look with my skin tone, but it looks quite nice actually.

I was delighted to see it was a straight wand and a lengthening mascara. It doesn't seem to clump and the formula is one which I adore as it applies really easily. I normally curl my lashes beforehand, and the mascara looks incredible on my lashes - they look long and full. It's even that good that I use it alone without layering other mascaras on top.

Let's take a moment to appreciate how beautiful the packaging is of both of these products - Insta-worthy or what? The bronzer and blush duo is amazing. Both do have a slight shimmer to them, however, it doesn't ruin the product. The bronzer is more ideal for bronzing rather than contouring, and the blush makes the cheeks appear naturally flushed and healthy without looking too over the top. The trio of shadows is just stunning. I adore all three of the shades as a combination, and the gold is my favourite shade of course. The pigmentation is insanely crazy, but fallout is always at a minimum.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about blush sticks. I don't like them that much as I feel like I'm tugging at my cheeks too much. But, they work a lot better as lipsticks. They blend easier and the colour appears so natural. I know already that this is going to be an ideal Spring/Summer lip colour because of it's warm tones.

Not only is the makeup range a winner to me because of it's high quality, but because the packaging is sure to catch anyone's eyes. The products feel extremely luxurious and I adore using them, and due to my organised personality, I like using the Ted Baker brushes with the makeup because they match.

Have you tried the Ted Baker makeup range?