What's on My Christmas List This Year

Kicking off the festivities around these parts, I've compiled a little Christmas Wishlist of mine to share with you today! I'm not massively into gift guides (although I have one up on my channel if you're looking for a special beauty gift to give this year!) but I thought taking a peek at my own personal list would be fun! Sidenote/disclaimer, wishful thinking is playing a very big part here..

Summing Up Vlogmas

Today we find ourselves facing the first Monday of 2015 and with that a sad realisation that the holidays are officially over and it's back to work and a normal routine that doesn't involve scoffing chocolate for breakfast every morning. For those still missing the festive feeling and with an hour on their hands for a bit of YouTube catch up, I've rounded up this year's Vlogmas four-parter below which, fingers crossed, should be enough to ease your Christmas cravings.

The Pre-Christmas Pamper | #ICovetChristmas

I'm sure we're probably all in the same boat right now and that boat is named 'stressed out to the max'. Gone are the days when deciding which Christmas film to watch next was the most strenuous task in December, and now it's countless shopping trips, planning meals, hand-aching card writing sessions and the never ending task of wrapping presents (which is still on my to-do list for tonight, yikes!). I think it's fair to say that we could all do with a little pamper time, and what better night to save it for than Christmas Eve.

Christmas Q&A; With Suzie! | #ICovetChristmas

The lovely Suzie and I got together in front of the camera again last week and instead of the usual beauty chit chat, we thought we'd embrace that festive feeling and answer your Christmas questions! Expect some (possibly not so wonderful) singing, drooling over Xmas dinner foods and the great Christmas film debate: The Holiday or Love Actually? Enjoy!

The Christmas Jumper | #ICovetChristmas

It's no secret that I love a good Christmas jumper (just check the stash I have tucked away under my bed from the last five years) and when it comes to picking the right festive attire, it's usually the tackier the better. This December though I've gone down a completely different route with an understated grey number from H&M.

Christmas Party Make Up | #ICovetChristmas

When I think about the festive party season one word stands out to me; glitter, glitter and more glitter. It just isn't Christmas without it, so for this year's party look I've gone for a beyond sparkly gold eye and of course, lashings of red lipstick. This also marks the start of my countdown to the big day - look out for the hashtag #ICovetChristmas, where things are going to get sickeningly festive around these parts.. you have been warned!

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What's On My Christmas List

Things are about to get very festive around these parts come December, so what better way to kick things off than with my own personal Christmas List. Over the past few months I've been putting in some serious time window shopping, saving up links and scribbling things down on post-it notes that I've ensured make their way into Darren's possession, mostly by sticking them on the bathroom mirror.

Unsurprisingly the list is a beauty exclusive zone, starting with a perfume that's been on my mind for nearly an entire year when I came across it last December. Diptyque Volutes Eau de Toilette is a deep, musky fragrance unlike anything else in my collection and one that would make for a perfect warm Winter scent. I've also been eyeing up their Baies Room Spray after my trip to Suzie's where this made her entire flat smell beautiful. Candles have always been a constant in my Christmas lists over the years and this time it's the Malin + Goetz Votive Set that's caught my eye. While the scents of Dark Rum, Tocacco and Vetiver may be an odd combination to get your head around, I've heard they're not to be missed.

The colder seasons are also when I like to indulge in a good amount of bath time and Laura Mercier's Honey Musk Bath & Body Duet, combining the Soufflé Body Cream and Honey Bath, looks like the perfect touch of luxury for this. Also on the list for winding down in the evening is the This Works Deep Sleep Plus+, a soothing pillow spray that aids in drifting off to sleep and another constant on my list year by year. The new ramped up Plus+ formula also promises to help any restless sleepers enjoy an uninterrupted slumber and I can't say no to that.

Aside from the obligatory novelty socks (these Christmas Kitten pair from Asos are definitely the one) the last few bits on this list fall somewhere in the category of 'it's just so pretty!' items that I can't get out of my head, including the Zoeva Rose Gold Brush Set which I've been dreaming of owning for months - not just a beautiful set of brushes but from a brand I've come to trust and love too, and the Nails Inc Alexa Hearts Collection. Since Alexa Chung became the face of the brand and the new packaging design launched earlier this year, Nails Inc have been peaking my interest more so than my all time favourite Essie - and that's saying something. This set contains six polishes, with three exclusive shades, a holographic top coat and two chunky glitters made up of hearts and stars. I'm in love!

Deep breath - that was a long one! What's on your Christmas list this year?

Weekend Vlog: Christmas Markets & Crepes

Like it or not, Vlogmas is right around the corner and in preparation for a whole month of non-stop vlogging I thought it was about time to dust off the camera and get back into the swing of things with a few snippets from last weekend. It may not have been the most eventful two days but things are getting pretty festive around these parts so a visit to the first Christmas market of the year was in order. Large amounts of crepe were consumed, fairy lights awed at and Primark raided for novelty knitwear. All in all, a good weekend I'd say!

This Week: Feeling Festive in Guilford

The last three months of the year are always the best in my eyes. October is when Autumn really begins, November has Bonfire Night and fireworks and you can't even say December without thinking about Christmas. One of my favourite things to do on the weekends is wrap up warm and spend the afternoon wandering around new cities - anywhere with cobbled streets are a must, darting in and out of shops and trying to find the cosiest place with coffee and cake on the menu.

Beauty Sale Favourites

After spending my Boxing Day afternoon scrolling through hundreds of pages of sales - pyjama clad and Terry's Chocolate Orange in hand of course, I've come up with a list of my favourite tried and tested beauty bargains just for you.

Feel Unique know how to do a sale and you'll find a host of well know, well loved brands with great discounts. Cult favourites such as the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm and the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask - my personal favourite for sore Winter skin, both come in at a much lower price than you're ever likely to find them. There are also full brand discounts on premium houses such as Guerlain and YSL - my picks including the Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder and the Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains which although may only have a few pounds off are still very hard to say no to.

If you're looking to invest a little more and 2014 has been earmarked as the year you're getting into skincare the Clarisonic Mia 2 has a whopping 20% off - a considerable amount for a higher priced product and a system I would whole heartedly recommend to those wanting something that little bit special for their skin.

Space NK is always the place to go for harder to find luxury brands and they've made considerable reductions on a handful of Diptyque fragrances including my favourite, Philisykos. There's also a beautiful selection of Laura Mercier Votive Candles bundled together in one pretty package for half the usual price. All four are gourmande scents from Fresh Fig to Crème Brûlée - good enough to eat!

Most of the sales I've come across have featured Aromatherapy Associates - definitely a brand worth checking out for their Bath and Shower Oils alone, but it's Beauty Bay I've found to be offering up the best price with their Relax Deep coming in at nearly £10 less than it's original price.

Beauty Expert have a host of well discounted haircare finds including my new favourite styling product of the moment, the Kérastase Boucles d'Art Mousse and the majority of the Redken Shampoo and Conditioner Duos, led by the unparalleled All Soft range - perfect for post-holiday season hydration.

Asos have a much smaller selection of sale items in the beauty category but there are quite a few gems to be found, including O.P.I's Christmas 2013 Collection which boasts possibly the chunkiest silver glitter I've ever laid my eyes on in the form of I Snow You Love Me that should keep you and your nails in a festive mood for weeks to come.

Have you bagged yourself any sale bargains today?

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This Week #52

01. Can't go wrong with some Primark Christmas lounge wear | 02. Using Sunday Shampoo on a Monday .. rule breaker. | 03. Singing in the streets of Winchester | 04. The prettiest place to be at Christmas | 05. Red beauty product preparation | 06. Sitting on a hill admiring the view | 07. Christmas bedding is officially on | 08. Nothing more festive than a Starbucks red cup.

Must Watch of the Week: Mind if I shamelessly plug my own video? Alright then! I haven't spoken about it on this blog but I've been jumping head first into vlogging this month and trying my hand at Vlogmas. Slightly different to how the pros are doing it (and many an awkward public camera moment might I add) I'll be breaking it up into four easy to view parts going up at the end of each week. Part One can be seen here and I've left Part Two below for your viewing pleasure! For those who aren't so inclined to watching ten minutes of my own face my favourite Vlogmas so far this year has come from Essie Button. The often hilarious and always watchable snippets of her day are becoming slightly addictive and of course, how adorable is Reggie?!

Wishing For: I announced it in yesterday's post and I'll say it agin right now. I really really want to get my hands on the Naked 3 Palette. It may be the biggest beauty blogger chiché of all time but after being a little underwhelmed with their second offering it looks like third times a charm for this beautiful collection of rose tinted neutrals. Fingers crossed I can get one before they're all sold out!



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What's On My Christmas List 2013

01. Zara Check Scarf: My penchant for tartan prints is getting slightly out of hand (today I wore not only a tartan scarf but corresponding trousers too) and this near-blanket sized offering from Zara seems the perfect warm weather staple to see me through January.

02. Diptyque Classic Coffret: Diptyque candles truly have my heart and this set of three would be the perfect way to discover more from he brand. Made up of Figuier; a firm favourite, Baies; a staple of theirs and Roses; sweeter than my usual taste but one I could see burning away nicely on a Spring evening.

03. Parisian Chic: Forever longing to be roaming the streets of Paris in a stripe shirt and flats, this style guide penned by model Ines de La Fressange should help me on my way to that effortless French Girl cool.

04. Zara Office City Bag: After my last 'What's In My Bag' offering you should be well aware that I like to carry around a lot on a daily basis and this Zara number full of it's various zippers, compartments and pockets - that can even fit in a Macbook I hear, may just be the next Mary Poppins-esque bag I'm looking for. Plus, isn't it just beautiful?

05. Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay Cologne: I can hand on heart say I am now obsessed with Jo Malone. Trust me ladies, one tip to their beautiful counter is all it takes. I recently came away with their Peony and Blush Suede Cologne which has instantly stolen the title of my favourite fragrance this year, but another scent that really caught my attention was Blackberry and Bay. Every one of the perfumes are designed to be layered and the combination of these two was out of this world.

06. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette: The one I didn't think I wanted but now can't stop thinking about - The Naked 3 Palette. At it's surprise announcement the Beauty World got a little wobbly at the knees for the rose toned collection of neutrals. I dread to think of the scramble for this once it hits counters on Monday!

07. Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush: It's about time a tapered brush came into my life and this beauty from Charlotte Tilbury, a brand I'm just dying to try, seems to be the perfect multitasking shape for precision powdering, highlighting and sculpting all in one.

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