As you can see this post consists of just the beauty products that I picked up, as I wanted to feature all the clothing pieces in a separate fashion based post.

Lush happened to be closed on Boxing Day, but I managed to pick up a few bargains the following day as all of the Christmas stock was 50% off the original price, so I picked all of this up for less than £25! I'd seen a fair few blogger mention the Drummers Drumming Bubble Bar (£5.25), which is such a cute concept. I love how you can whirl it around in the bath and it creates the perfect amount of bubbles and it smells incredible. Another product I hadn't tried was the Candy Mountain Bubble Bar (£2.75) and even though I got one for Christmas, I wanted another as it has the snow fairy scent which I just love. One bath bomb that I really liked this year was the Dashing Santa Bath Bomb (£2.95), so I happily picked up another as I love orangey scent to it. On my way to the tills I spotted the last of the gift sets and I grabbed the First Snow Gift Set (£36.95), which contains a bunch of products that i'd never tried before and i'm so excited to try them all out.

Onto The Body Shop, as they had also reduced all of their Christmas range and a few other products. I originally wanted another of their Glazed Apple Shower Gel (£4), but that has been sold out online and in store for weeks now, so instead I picked up the Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel (£4) and the Vanilla Brulee Shower Gel (£4). Even though I originally didn't really like these scents, they've definitely grown on me since giving them another sniff and I cannot wait to get using them. Whilst I was the tills I spotted that some of the large body butters were reduced, so I picked up the Raspberry Body Butter (£13) which smells just like raspberry yoghurt, I could honestly eat it if I could.

What did you pick up in the sales?

This Christmas I asked for quite a lot of beauty related items, as i'd had my eye on them for quite some time but I just hadn't had the time or money to get my hands on them. 

First up beauty wise are some amazing presents from my Dad and Step Mum. I'd asked them for the MAC 'Show Orchid' Lipstick, which I spotted in duty free but unfortunately was sold out at the time and they also kindly got me MAC 'Magenta' Lip Liner to go along with it, and it will suit a fair few of my other lipstick shades. They also got me a MAC Keepsakes Makeup Bag from the MAC Holiday Collection, which is so pretty and will come in so handy for travelling. I'd been wanting the Urban Naked Palette for such a long time, so I was ecstatic when I opened this beauty up and I am already loving it! From my Mum and Step Dad, they picked up Marc Jacobs Oh Lola!, which i'd never smelt before but I adore it. I'm a huge lover of the Marc Jacobs scents, so this is a lovely addition to my collection. 

From my Boyfriend, he treated me to some lovely bits from Lush and he did so well! Of course he got me Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel, which i'd kind of hinted at and i'm so glad he got me the big bottle as i've just finished up my last one. He also picked out the Lush Christmas Candy Box, which has a bunch of different products including a mini snow fair shower gel, candy mountain and a couple of other bits. Lastly from Lush, he picked up the Lush Father Christmas which smells just like the snow fairy scent. I cannot wait to give all of the a whirl, and it's safe to say I don't need to be taking any trips to Lush for a while!

Of course at Christmas, you always receive a few different gift sets and the ones I got this year I cannot wait to try out. From my Step Dads Family, I got the Nivea Nourishing Beautiful Skin Set which has some products in that i've wanted to try for ages! From my best friend Abi, she got me the I Love... A Big Box of Love Raspberry & Blackberry Gift Set. This stuff smells amazing and I cannot wait to give these products a go.

Last of the beauty products, and my Mum kindly got me Pretty Honest by Sally Hughes after i'd seen so many blogger raving about it. I'm not a big book fan, but after having a flick through this the other day I cannot wait to read it. It covers so many different aspects of beauty, that I think i'll learn a trick or two. Also from my dog Maisie (a.k.a my Mum) she got me this lovely Homebase Mulberry and Vanilla Scented Candle, which smells amazing! The closest thing I can compare it to, is bubblegum and I cannot stop sniffing it! 

This year I really wanted some new Pj's or loungewear, but I didn't actually ask for any, but my Step Dad got me a lovely Cath Kidston Nightwear Set. It is the softest, most cosiest Pj set that I ever owned and I have not stopped wearing the bottoms around the house. My Mum kindly got me the matching Cath Kidston Bed Socks to match, which again are so cosy and have the little grip pads on the bottom so you can wear them almost like slippers. 

Finally onto the last few items, and I received a couple of jewellery pieces this year. From my Boyfriend, he got the me Pandora Delicate Heart Ring which I absolutely love and have not taken it off since I got it. He got some major brownie points this Christmas! From my Dad and Step Mum, they got me this beautiful Karen Millen Bangle, which is such a stunning piece and I cannot wait to style this. Lastly from my Mum, is this Breville Blend Active, which I did ask for as i've really been getting into my smoothies and I wanted something a little more travel friendly and less messy. I cannot wait to start whizzing up smoothies in the new year! 

So that is mostly everything that I got for Christmas! I did get a few other bits and pieces, like chocolate, money and a 2015 male model calendar off my friend Megan, can always count on her! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!

What did you get for Christmas this year?

This year was a little different to last year, as we didn't host this year but our plans changed on Christmas Eve. We originally were invited to my Nans for Christmas, but unfortunately she has come down with a horrible flu, so plans changed and we were invited to my uncles. 

I woke up quite late for me when it comes Christmas, but I pulled myself out of bed around 9am, showered and got dressed, and then tucked into a bacon sandwich before opening presents. As you can see I got the Urban Naked Palette, a MAC Lipstick and MAC Lip Liner and a few other lovely beauty based presents. I will be doing a Christmas haul style post, showing you all the bits and bobs I received - which i'm truly thankful for, as i've been truly spoilt this year.  After the present giving, I continued getting ready and as you can see I wore this lovely Topshop 'Seasons Greetings' Jumper, which was so soft and cosy. I also gave my new beauty bits a whirl and I am in love with them all, especially MAC 'Show Orchid' Lipstick, such a lovely pink shade. 

Around midday, we drove over to my uncles, where he and his partner put on a lovely spread. Honey roast parsnips, beef, turkey, yorkshire puds etc.. It was all so lovely! We then took the dogs for a walk to burn off dinner before having dessert, which was a lovely lime cheesecake, so so tasty!  After having dessert and watching the Queens Christmas Day message, I drove over to boyfriends to spend time with his family and to pick him up as we hadn't exchanged presents. We headed back to my house, where we poured ourselves some ciders and finally exchanged presents - safe to say we both spoilt each other, and it was so nice to see his face light up over some of his presents.

Overall I had a lovely Christmas, although it wasn't the same without my Nan and Step Granddad, I still had a lovely day! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas also and got everything you had put on your list to Santa!

Had a Pizza Express date - It's been a little while since i'd seen my friend Abbie, so on Monday I met up with her and had a lovely little catch up over a really tasty Pizza Express. It was lovely to see her, as we are so both busy at the minute.

Enjoyed a lovely Christmas - My Christmas this year was the most relaxed Christmas that i've ever had and I got spoilt rotten by my family and my boyfriend. I'll be putting up a post all about my day and also a Christmas haul, as you all enjoyed both of those posts last year.
Grabbed some bargains in the Boxing Day sales - My boyfriend and I hop footed it into our local town on Boxing Day, where we both grabbed a few good bargains. Unfortunately Boots had sold out of all of the Soap & Glory bits I wanted and Lush wasn't open until yesterday, so I missed out a lot of the good stuff. Again, i'll be posting about what I picked up in the sales soon.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, as did I and that you have enjoyed relaxing and spending time with you loved ones!

What have you been up to this week?

Starting off with my current favourite base and this is the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Creme (£9.99), which is the first and only colour correcting creme that i've used and i've been totally converted. The different tones within this base work so great to just make my skin look amazing. No redness, no dark circles and it's pretty good at covering blemishes also, as I thought it would be quite a light base but I can get away with this on its own on an everyday basis. Another base product i've been loving is the L'oreal Lumi Magique Concealer (£8.49), which i've been using as a light highlighter as i'm not a fan of the overly highlighted look, but a slight dewy glow is perfect for an everyday base and this gives just that. Concealer wise, it's not that great as I find it doesn't really cover redness that great but when covering dark circles it does a pretty god job.

Last of the makeup products for this month and i'm quite surprised that i've welcomed a new mascara into my daily routine and this is the Makeup Revolution The Viper Mascara* (£3. For months now i've been using the same mascara, but this just works so well at defining and thickening the lashes that it has crept its way into pretty much my everyday routine, when I wear liquid eyeliner anyway as it is a little much on its own. It has a really odd wand to it, that curves in and out, but I think it's the shape that works so well to define the lashes. 

Onto skincare/body products and the first product is the Rodial Super Acids X-treme Hangover Mask* (£45). For some reason my dry skin is just getting worse at the minute, no matter how much moisturiser and facial oil I slap on, the worse it seems to be getting so this has been a saviour for my skin this month. It's clay formula is great at removing any dry skin, but it's also really hydrating and moisturising from the different acids that it contains. It doesn't smell that great, but I can get past that because it is so good! Lastly is The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel (£4), which I picked up on offer during black friday and it's has become my go to shower gel. It's fresh, zingy apple scent wakes me up and I just love the lingering smell throughout the day. As it's limited edition, i'm going to have to try and pick up as many as I can before they stop stocking it, lets pray it's reduced over the boxing day sale period.

So that is my last monthly favourites of this year. I will be doing a 'best of 2014' series, but that will in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled for those!

What have you been loving this month?

As it is officially less than 24 hours until Christmas Day, I thought i'd take this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Whatever you end up doing tomorrow, I hope you have a lovely day spending time with loved ones and I hope you get everything on your list to Santa!

For me Christmas Day is going to be a busy one as i'm splitting my day with my family and my boyfriends family, but i'm so looking forward to doing something a little different to the usual. I will hopefully be doing a post on my day, similar to last year as I love getting my camera out on special occasions and you all seemed to love last years post, so look out for that.

Things will be a little quiet over the next week or so, I have a few posts scheduled as I didn't want to just abandon the blog until New Year - it's just not for me, so again keep your eyes peeled for those posts. Any who..

Being a blogger, I read so many blogs so narrowing down my favourites was quite difficult but I mainly went for the blogs that I have discovered this year and have continued to love since discovering them.

1 | Rebecca from From Roses, i've mentioned Rebecca's blog a couple times previously and I just love everything about her blog. If you're looking for a beauty/lifestyle blog that is just fresh in every way possible, content, writing etc.. then you'll love it just as much as me. I'm also pretty jealous of her photography, her images are just so clean and refreshing that I always think to myself 'why can't I make my images look like that?!'. 

2 | Lydia from Lydia Rose, is one of the loveliest bloggers that I ever spoken too and her blog is pretty awesome too! I've been following Lydia right from the get go, and it's amazing to have seen her blog grow into what it has and some of the experiences she has gained from it are truly admirable. If you are looking for a fashion/beauty blog with something a little different to the norm, then look no further.

3 | Claudia from Beauty and the Chic, is one of my favourite beauty blogs of the year and is one that I will always go back to. Her photography is something I admire most about her blog, along with her in depth reviews and swatches in pretty much every beauty post, she is one you can count on as she puts her heart and sole into her blog.

4 | Mollie from Molly Manning, is another one my favourite all rounder blogs. She covers a bit of everything from fashion, beauty and lifestyle, and her writing style is so relaxed and refreshing to read. Being a photography student, her photography is bloody amazing, simple yet amazing and i'm often envious whenever I scroll through her blog!

5 | Jen from Jenny Purr has been my go to blog when it comes to all things blogging advice over the past few months. She shares some amazing tips and topics i'd never even considered, and has really opened up my mind on how to improve my blog, how to handle my blog, the pressure that comes with blogging and just how to be a lot more organised in general. If you're struggling or just fancy some blogging advice, then take a little peak as you're bound to learn a trick or two.

6 | Charissa Rae from Charissa Rae has been a long term favourite of mine pretty much from the beginning, but there is something different about her style that separates her from 'other' fashion bloggers, and that something is what I enjoy so much about her blog. I find her style a lot more wearable and I take a lot of inspiration from her when styling my own daily looks. Charissa is also seriously pretty, I need to learn some makeup tips from that girl as she always looks flawless.

7 | Andrea from Rosy Chicc is another one of my favourite beauty blogs to read as she gives some amazing in depth reviews, and I will always look to her blog before purchasing a product. Her photography is like no other blogger that i've ever seen, her editing/photography skills are seriously breath taking as her images are so clear and high in quality, which just adds to her amazing reviews.

8 | Charlotte from Things I Do, Think and Buy has become a recent favourite of mine, but I find her style so cute and quirky and i'm sometimes so envious of her wardrobe. Even though Charlotte's style isn't all that similar to mine, there are certain aspects of her style that I take inspiration from and incorporate it into my own style, usually her accessories or shoes and I just love seeing how she styles different outfits. If you're a lover of girly, yet sophisticated style then take a look at Charlotte's blog.

9 | Helen from The Lovecats Inc is another firm favourite of mine, but more so recently I have not been able to stop reading her blog as she has really stepped up her game. The mixture of content from fashion, beauty, lifestyle, baking, advice etc.. is what always brings me back to Helen's blog and she is always so consistent and her writing style is so easy to read. I also love the cleanness of her blog, from the layout to the photography, it's really lovely to see such a breath taking blog.

Decorated our Christmas Tree - On Sunday we finally got our Christmas tree and I briefed my Mum that I wanted a fat tree this year and thank fully that is what I got! We went for a blue, silver and white theme this year, which turned out really well and I really love how it looks. Now just to fit all the presents under it! 

Announced my giveaway winners! - As most of you know, I had two amazing giveaways running on my blog for the past month and they both ended last weekend. So a big congrats to Kathryn, who won my 2nd Blog Birthday/Christmas Giveaway and a big congrats to Emily, who won my Makeup Revolution Giveaway!

What have you been up to this week?

Apart from the Atomic Lipsticks, i've never tried out any of other Makeup Revolution lip products so when the entire collection of the Ultra Velour Lip Creams landed on my doorstep I got very excited as i've never really tried out many cream based lip products previously.

The Makeup Revolution Ultra Velour Lip Cream* (£3), described as a stunning lip cream that gives a velour matte finish with intensive colour, that applies smooth to the lips and is comfortable to wear. Now I couldn't agree more, as i'm not a huge fan of matte lips I would usually steer clear of the formula but these lip creams are totally different. Their creamy formula applies so smooth to the lips, with an instant matte finish that appears almost like velvet on the lips but you hardly notice the product is there and the creamy formula stops the product from drying out your lips and they do not stain your lips - a big thumbs up from me! They also smell just like whipped cream, amazing right?!

These lip creams are available in ten different shades, ranging from your everyday nude, to a deep red and some lovely pink/berry shades in between. I've picked out my favourite shades from the collection, as not every shade is my cup of tea but i'm really surprised that I can wear 6/10 of the shades available. Starting left and going across, we have 'You're Not The Best, You're Not The Last' (£3) - your typical red, one that every girl needs in her collection. 'Don't Bring Me Down' (£3) - a more pink toned red, for those who don't like a striking red lip. 'What Will It Take To Make You Love Me' (£3) - your typical hot pink/fuchsia shade. 'Not One For Playing Games' (£3) - a more pink toned purple, very similar to MAC 'Up The Amp'. 'All I Think About Is You' (£3) - a lovely plum shade, perfect for winter. Last but not least, 'Say Yes, It's What We Do Best' (£3) - a lovely deep red, one i'll probably be wearing on Christmas day.

All in all the quality of these lip creams are amazing, the rose gold box packaging is too die for, the clear tubes make it easy to see exactly what colour you're are choosing and the doufer applicator makes it so easy to apply the product. At just £3 each, these are an absolute bargain and with ten different shades to choose from, you're bound to find at least one two suit you.

Have you tried out any Makeup Revolution lip products?

 If you saw my recent Christmas jumper wish list, then you would have seen me talking about a bunch of different Christmas jumpers that I had my eye on to wear on Christmas day. When I went to Plymouth last week, I was lucky enough to spot one of my favourite picks reduced, so I just had to share and show you guys my Christmas jumper for this year!

Kicking things off with the typical red and a recent addition into my collection is the Rimmel 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish (£3.69) in the shade 'Raw As Night', which is this beautiful true red shade. I love a nice bright red around Christmas time as it just really livens up the nails, and as I can't usually wear nail varnish because of my job, when I do I don't want it to go unnoticed! Another red shade, but my glitter nail varnish of choice is the Essie 'Toggle on Top' Nail Polish (£8.95), which I picked up in their winter collection this time last year. It's the perfect red glitter that you can wear on its own, but also layered on top of other shades. I'd pair this with the red shade, wearing it on my ring finger nail to give it that accent of glitter.

Another shade I love around Christmas time is a simple white and my current go to is the Rimmel 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish (£3.69) in the shade 'White Hot Love'. Painting the entire nail with this, and then going in with the glittery red just adds a lovely festive touch and I may actually try out this nail combination for Christmas day. Lastly i've got a deep purple/red shade that again I love around Christmas time as it just reminds me of mulled wine and deep red lipstick, all the things that happen during Christmas time. This is Essie 'Recessionista' Nail Polish (£8.95) which I usually wear more often on my toes, as its one of those shades you just can't go wrong with. I also love wearing it with an accent of glitter on my ring finger, or you could spruce it up with a gold or silver to make it that little more festive. 

What are you wearing on your nails this Christmas?

I'm sure you're all aware of the famous Naked Palettes from Urban Decay, but i'm sure you're also aware of the hefty price tags that come along with those palettes, so like most beauty bloggers I will always try to find a dupe and the Makeup Revolution Iconic Palettes are exactly that.

Starting at the bottom left, we have the Makeup Revolution Iconic Palette 2* (£4), is the second release from the Iconic Collection and is the perfect gold based neutral palette, with a beautiful range of tones to suit an everyday eye look, but can also be built up to create a more smokey intense evening look. This certain palette is a perfect dupe for the Naked 2 Palette, with an almost identical shade range with amazing pigmentation. Personally this is my favourite palette from the range and is my most used palette as it creates some beautiful eye looks.

Moving across to the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette* (£4), the third release from the Iconic Collection and has a beautiful array of pink toned neutral shades, from dusky gold pinks to deeper mauve purple shades. This particular palette, again is another amazing dupe but for the Naked 3 and having compared it to my own Naked 3, the shades are practically identical. I love this palette if i'm wanting to add a little something to an everyday eye look and the more deeper mauve shades work great in the crease to vamp up the eye look ever so slightly.  Also within the collection is the Makeup Revolutoin Iconic 1 Palette (£4), which I don't own but is the perfect dupe for first Naked Palette and is the next palette that I want to add to my collection. 

Lastly we have the Makeup Revolution Iconic Dreams Palette* (£4), which was released just over a month ago now and this palette contains a lot more earthy based toned, which is different from any palette that I have ever owned. This particular palette isn't a dupe, but is an amazing new addition to the Makeup Revolution Iconic Collection and is one that I have been using quite a lot recently. I love the bronzey tones within this palette and the mixture of matte and shimmer shades work so well together to create endless eye looks.

Overall these palettes are absolutely amazing in quality and pigmentation, but also the cost of these palettes is amazing as they are so affordable at just £4 each! You could buy the entire collection for less than half of the price of one the Urban Decay Palettes, so if you're wanting to get your hands on them but don't want to spend that much money, then take a look into these palettes from Makeup Revolution.

Have you tried any of the Iconic palettes?

The Nars 'Rikugien' Satin Lip Pencil (£18), is to die for with its nude peach shade with a slight pink undertone - kind of hard to explain, but it is to die for. I'm not usually one for nude shades, but I absolutely love this shade as it's the perfect everyday lip and its a nude shade that I can actually pull off, as they do not usually suit my pale complexion. As nudes are all the rage at the moment, this shade is perfect especially for those who have quite pale skin tones as it just livens the complexion up rather than making you look even more pale, as other nudes would.

As the name suggests, the finish of this particular lip pencil is a satin finish, meaning it's not matte in anyway. I don't really get on well with matte finishes as my lips are quite dry, meaning they cling to my lips and dry them out even more. Whereas the satin formula is a lot more moisturising and has a nice sheen to the finish, giving a glossy look that I really love.

After trying out this one I cannot wait to get my hands on more of the Nars lip pencils, especially in a more berry pink shade or a deep red - my favourite kind of shades.

Have you tried out any of the Nars lip pencils?

Picked up the Soap & Glory The Next Big Thing Gift Set - On Friday I hop footed it into my local Boots to pick up this Soap & Glory set. As i'm sure you're aware but for a limited time only this gift set is only £29 and I just had to get my hands on it.

What have you been up to this week?

Starting off with the Rimmel Goodie Bag, which they do every year for just £10 and they usually do two or three different collections to choose from, all with a different bunch of beauty products. I picked the Rita Ora Collection as i'd tried any of the products and within that I got the Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer (£6.99), which i've wanted to try for ages! A mini of their Rimmel BB Cream Matte (£6.99), which i've also wanted to give a go for a while, so i'm looking forward to trying that. The Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer (£3.99) and the Rimmel Extra 3D Lash Mascara (£4.99), which always come in handy to have in your stash. The Rimmel Colour Rush Balm (£5.99), which is in this lovely nude pink shade and is super moisturising. Lastly in the bag were two nail polishes, the Rimmel 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish (£3.69) in the shade 'Raw as Night' and the Rimmel Sweetie Crush Nail Effect (£3.99) in the shade 'Violet Swizzel', which i'm intrigued to try. Overall these goodie bags are really good, and so worth the money as all of these products come in at over £30!

Onto to Lee Stafford and from previous years, their stand wasn't as good as I remember but every single product was priced at £1. Even though they only had a limited amount of product available, I still picked up a few i'd wanted to try for quite some time. I picked up two of the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Leave in Treatment (£11.99) and also one of the Lee Stafford Climate Control Spray (£5.99) as my hair is a right frizz bomb sometimes, so hopefully this will help to control it a little more.

Lastly we stumbled across the W7 stand, where you could pick up any five products for £10, or three of their palettes for £10 and as they are usually priced between £4.99 and £9.99 per palette (depending on the retailer) we could not take up this offer. As I already owned one of their palettes, Emma and myself both went for the W7 In The Buff: Lightly Toasted Palette (£5.99) and I also picked up the W7 In The Nude Palette (£4.99) and we just split the cost. I've really gone palette mad recently and I cannot wait to try out these palettes as they both have some lovely shades! 

I also picked up a couple of clothing items, but i'll be featuring them either in a recent purchases post or a ootd post, so keep an eye out for those soon!

Did you get any good deals at The Clothes Show?

After the catwalk show we had a little mooch around the clothing stands, which weren't as good as I remember them but I still picked up a couple of things and almost got a picture with Lauren Pope and also spotted Jamie Laing at his Candy Kitten stand. I was so gutted to find out he came into the bloggers lounge after we'd left, as he's one of my favourites from Made in Chelsea.

As we went on the first day, it wasn't as busy as I remember it but we did get there super early and it started to get busier as the day went on. From experience, we both bought things there and then rather than going back for them as most of the time they'd either gone or it was too busy to buy them. What is great about The Clothes Show is that you can get some great deals, as a lot of brands were selling products at discounted prices but i'll talk more about those in my haul. If you're thinking of going next year, I would highly recommend it but just be wary when it comes to spending your money as some of the goodie bags really aren't worth the money in some cases and make sure you withdraw your money beforehand as most of the stalls were cash only, and you were charged to use the cash points. 

So thats my experience at The Clothes Show Live 2014, overall I had a really good time and thoroughly enjoyed myself for the first time in a long time and it was lovely to finally meet some bloggers who'd i'd admired for such a long time. 

Did you go to The Clothes Show this year?