Carry on reading to find out more about the products i've loved through November.

If you saw my recent post you'll of seen that i've been trying a few new products from It Cosmetics as they have recently launched in the UK, and i've been really enjoying their products as i've wanted to for some time now. Out of all of the products i've been loving the Brow Power 'Universal' Eye Brow Pencil* (£19) which has become my everyday brow product as of late (mainly because ABH Dip Brow has gone up in price and I want to savour my current one as much as I can) and I absolutely love how defined it makes my brows appear, whilst also looking very natural. 

Another makeup brand i've been trying a few products from is Wonderland Makeup and i've really been enjoying their Studio Finish Primer* (£15), which is probably my least used makeup product, mainly because I never find that they make a difference. Ever since i've begun using this i've really noticed how much longer my foundation lasts throughout the day, as it really helps to blur and smooth the surface of my skin. Also all of their products are cruelty free, so if you're on the hunt for a new makeup brand to try, make sure to check out their products. If you're thinking of ordering make sure to use my discount code 'Bloglife15''for 15% off!

A product that i've recently rekindled my love for has been the Becca Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector (£32), which I loved back in the spring/summer time but I often flick between highlighters and i've recently begun using this a lot more and I had truly forgotten how much I love this highlighter. It definitely does as the name suggests, as it give your skin a beautiful champagne shimmer that just pops.

Finally this month, you will have seen I made a large order from The Body Shop as they have recently brought out their limited edition scents for Christmas and of course I ordered at least one product from each scent. New to the scents this year is frosted plum and i've been loving the Frosted Plum Body Scrub (£15) as it's been working wonders on my dry skin and it smells absolutely incredible.

What products have you been loving recently?

Here's a gift guide of some ideas that the men will (hopefully) love this Christmas...

Being a beauty based blogger of course i'm kicking off with a few beauty bits that the men will love! Most men nowadays seem to be rocking some form of facial hair and there are so many brands now that specialise in beard products. L'oreal have recently released their Barber Club range which I spotted online a few weeks ago and thought the concept behind it all is great but also affordable for those who take pride in caring for their beards. With four products including a moisturiser, oil, wash and styling cream you really can't go wrong and they all smell incredible! Also another brand that i've seen a little about is Brisk, who are a mens beard brand aimed at grooming any type of beard and I spotted their Brisk Mini Duo (£6.50) and thought this would make a cute stocking filler. This little set contains two beard oils, one mulled wine scented and the other fresh forrest scented which ties into all the festive vibes!

Of course when it comes to purchasing gifts for men, the key to their heart is through their stomach and again every man has different tastes as to what they like. For a coffee lover, there is nothing better than fresh ground coffee beans to make the perfect brew and the Native Coffee Pure Arabica Beans* (£10.95) would make the perfect gift for any coffee lover out there. For men who love a fruity tipple once in a while, the Cranes Cranberry & Blood Orange Liqueur* (£15) would be a lovely gift this Christmas. For men who love a bit of chocolate, you honestly cannot go wrong with the Hotel Chocolate and their selection of chocolates! A personal favourite of mine and probably any gin lover out there is their Gin Chocolate Truffles (£3.95) which would make a cute little extra or stocking filler gift idea. (These are currently on 3 for £10, so make sure to take advantage of that offer!)

Finally for this gift guide comes a couple of more luxury purchases and I don't know any man who doesn't wear or love a good watch. Daniel Wellington have an amazing selection of watches for both men and women, but I find their selection of men's watches to be so timeless. For Christmas they are currently stocking a range of bundles and they have some lovely options to choose from for both men and women. A personal favourite of mine is their Classic Petite Melrose* (£159) which contains this beautiful black mesh strap and rose gold watch face, and a gold engraved cuff to match. (Make sure to use my discount code 'STYLEANDSPLURGING' for 15% off your order).

The final gift for this gift guide is of course fragrance, as most men have a fragrance or two that they absolutely love and this time of year is the best time buy it in my opinion as there are always come great value sets about. Fragrance Direct currently have some amazing gift sets to choose from, all of which are slightly the cheaper than your high street department stores, so i'd highly recommend checking those out!

When it comes to Christmas jumpers, I always love the quirky and funny ones especially as they just add to the Christmas spirit and this Rollin' With My Snowmies Christmas Jumper* (£15) is just perfect. As this one is quite a funny jumper, I decided to keep it quite casual with a simple pair of black jeans, converse and with it being so chilly i'd definitely wrap up with a cute winter hat and faux fur gilet. You could easily transition this look by switching out the converse for some black boots for some after work drinks or mooch around the local Christmas markets.

Every year I see this style of Christmas jumper and I just love these Filthy Animal Christmas Jumper* (£15) as they just scream all things Christmas! I've styled this up with a simple pair of black jeans because you can't go wrong and my favourite knee high boots that always come back out during winter, as you can wear them for any style of occasion whether it's a work Christmas meal or some drinks at the local.

FESTIVE AF JUMPER

Out of all of the Christmas jumpers, this Black Festive AF Jumper* (£15) is definitely my favourite as it just shows the basic side of my style perfectly and I just love it! I thought this would go perfectly with a black mini skirt as the cropped style works really well, and throwing on some heeled boots instantly dresses up the outfit. Again with the weather being so chilly at the moment, a faux fur gilet is the perfect thing to throw over a Christmas jumper!

If you're wanting to treat yourself to a new Christmas jumper this year, make sure to check out Pretty Little Thing and their affordable range of Christmas Jumpers, as they have so many different styles to choose from!

Have you pulled out your Christmas jumpers yet?

Carry on reading to see just why you need this advent calendar in your life!

One thing I love about Soap & Glory is their entire mantra of empowering women through their always quirky packaging and unique product names, and this year they've completely knocked it out of the park with their It's Calendar, Girls! Advent Calendar* (£40). First of all can I just point out that this is retailed at just £40, with you guessed it 24 whole days of gifts. I'm sure you've all seen the drama surrounding a few beauty calendars at the moment and i'm so pleased that Soap & Glory always keep it real when it comes to pricing their products at fair and reasonable prices.

As Soap & Glory say there are treats galore behind every door with this calendar containing twenty four different products across their entire best selling product range from bath and body to beauty, of which has me so excited because i've not tried much of their beauty bits as i'm such a sucker for their sweet scented bath and body products. Now I haven't opened any of the doors on my calendar, purely because I want to save it for advent and be surprised but I can already tell you that you will not be disappointed with this calendar from the list of products inside.

Starting with body bits, this calendar contains a mixture of their best selling body products including:

Scrub of Your Life Body Scrub, Righteous Butter, Hand Food, Heel Genius and 6 mini's of their body washes in the scents Sugar Crush, Rich & Foamous and Clean On Me. 

Moving onto the beauty bits, again this calendar contains a mixture of their best selling makeup products of which i'm beyond excited for! These include: One Heck of a Blot Primer, Thick & Fast HD Mascara, x2 Gloss Stick, x1 Matte Stick, x5 Crazy Sexy Kohl Liners, x3 Pillow Plump and a cute pair of tweezers!

Personally for £40 I think you get so many good products, and it will also give you the opportunity to try out some products that you not of had the chance to before, and it just adds to the excitement of Christmas! I'll of course be documenting each day of this advent calendar over on my Instagram stories, so make sure you're following.

Also, if you're thinking of picking up this calendar you're going to need to be quick because it's currently part of the Boots 3for2 deal!

Have you got any beauty advent calendars this year?

Here are a few ways in which I come up with content ideas, whilst being as original as possible.

Sharing my thoughts on products i'm loving - The main bulk of my content ideas come from the products that i'm genuinly enjoying because let's be real, us bloggers do reviews and we do them good! So when it comes to coming with content ideas, I always begin my thinking of the products i've been loving or using a lot recently, and how I can then pull a post together around them. An example recently have been my Exploring Autumnal Eyeshadows as i've been getting more into eyeshadows, and have been loving the products that I reviewed in that post.

Relating my posts to things that are happening in my life - From time to time when i'm lacking ideas, i'll turn to what has been going on in my life or around me, for example a few times i've put up a pamper style post, or sick day style post when i've been ill and also more so in the future I want to start incorporating fitness into my blog, as it's currently a big thing in my life.

Sponsored posts/gifted items - Another major inspiration for content comes from gifted products and sponsored posts, mainly because these are things that I have to blog about but one thing i've begun to do is not force content when it comes to sponsored posts and gifted content. I've also begun to incorporate gifted products into other posts, essentially so i'm not doing stand alone reviews that in the past i've felt forced to right, and in doing this i've seen such a difference in how my content is perceived from my readers. 

Look to other bloggers/bloglovin' popular posts - A way in which I think everyone comes up with ideas is to see what other bloggers are posting about, and whether its a topic you can add your two sense to. There is definitely a fine line between taking inspiration, and just straight up copying but when i'm stumped I often look to other bloggers to spark ideas.

How do you come up with content ideas?

When it comes to Christmas releases, one of my all time favourites has got to be from The Body Shop who every year release three limited edition scents of which every year I have stock bought because I love them that much. This year is now different, and with a little cheeky discount code I went a bit mad, so I thought i'd justify it by posting up a haul!

Now it wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas scented showergel or two...

This year they have brought back two of the three scents from last years, and i'm silently glad that they chose to keep the Vanilla Chai and the Frosted Berries scents because they were my favourites last year. This year they've brought out a new scent, Frosted Plum which I can confirm smells incredible and i'll no doubt be fighting everyone for this when they go into the sale on boxing day.

From the Vanilla Chai range I of course ordered the Vanilla Chai Shower Gel (£5) because I absolutely love anything vanilla scented and their shower gels are the creamiest i've ever used! The scent is truly festive and I find that it's sweet scent lingers on the skin, whilst also leaving the skin feeling nourished and soft. There is something about a festive shower gel that just instantly brightens up any shower or bath. Also I decided to order the Vanilla Chai Tree Soap (£1.50) purely because it looked so cute that I couldn't just leave it and was cheap as chips! 

From the Frosted Berries range I also decided to order the Frosted Berries Shower Gel (£5) purely because I loved this product last year, as it's slightly more gel like and less creamy than the vanilla chai shower gel, which means it lathers up really nicely and is one I prefer to use when i'm having a proper good scrub. Again the scent of this is so sweet and festive, and I just absolutely love it! I also ordered the Frosted Berries Tin (£20) because I thought this would make a really nice gift for someone, and this comes with a hand cream which I personally just love to get in a gift set!

From their new Frosted Plum range I decided to only order one product, as I wasn't what this scent would be like and i've wanted to try one of their scrubs for ages, so I thought i'd kill two birds with one stone and order the Frosted Plum Sugar Scrub (£15). As I mentioned, as soon as smelt this I was sold and I already want to order more from this scent! I gave the scrub a test drive the other day and I was gobsmacked at how amazing my skin felt after I used this! 

Finally because I spent £30 I got sent a free gift, which was their Shea Butter Festive Picks (£20) gift set which is one of my favourite scents from their range, so I was quite excited to receive this! I may keep this for myself, but I may also gift this to someone for Christmas so we will see, but I thought this was a really sweet deal.

Have you ordered anything from The Body Shop?

Caring for winter skin can be such a hassle, but these four products will have you covered...

One skincare product that I never used to use was an oil, but since beginning blogging i've added a fair few into my skincare routine but hands down my favourite and most recommended has got to be the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate (£39). I picked this up from duty free back in Feb and I used it a lot towards the end of winter and into spring but during summer my skin didn't need this product, but as we now move back into winter my skin is lapping this up. Using this of a night before going to sleep leaves my skin feeling less dry and looking a lot more hydrated. I notice that when I don't use this that my skin just feels stiff and so dry, so i'd definitely recommend trying this one out!

A skincare brand that I absolutely love it MeruMaya as their products just work wonders on my skin, especially when it comes to their spot treatments. Recently they sent over a little bundle to celebrate their 5th birthday and i've been loving a few of the products so I thought i'd share them with you. If you're a lover of balm style cleansers then you'll love their Melting Cleansing Balm* (£17.50) and it's amazing for skin all skin types as it works in many ways. It not only hydrates the skin and leaves it feeling smooth but it also works as an anti-oxidant to combat the effects of harmful pollution. I typically use this of an evening and it just melts away my makeup and leaves my skin feeling amazing!

Another product that i've been loving is their Mud Marvels Mask* (£19.50) as this works wonders when i've got a few blemishes hanging around. It's also amazing for those with oily skin as it helps to balance out oil levels without completely stripping the skin which most masks targeted towards oily skin can do! I use this once or twice a week and it's amazing at just giving my skin a good cleanse and detox.

Finally one product I always rely on at this time of year is The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Face Cream (£14) which is a saviour for dry skin during the winter months, but it also works amazingly for most skin types so i've heard. This cream works to protect, nourish and lock in moisture often lost from the skins natural barrier. I typically apply this of an evening as I do find it can be a bit heavy for day use, and when I wake up my skin looks nourished and feels absolutely amazing! I've used this for a few years now and have repurchased over and over, so i'd highly recommend.

What skincare are you reaching for this winter?

When it comes to eyeshadow i've always played it safe with my bronzey tones, but in my attempt to switch things up and use more of the palettes that I own i've been loving exploring tones more out of my comfort zone, and i've received some lovely compliments.

An eyeshadow duo that popped through the post a couple of weeks ago comes from 3ina, and at first I really wasn't sure about the shades of The Duo Eyeshadow 605* (£10.95) as i'm definitely not an orange/yellow eyeshadow gal but i've been mixing the matte orange shade in with my more golden bronzy tones and i've loved the little extra pop of colour that this gives! I also have been adding the yellow shimmer shade into the inner corners of my eyes for a little shimmery pop, and all in all this little duo is perfect for Autumn.

A few other shadows that i've been talking about quite a bit recently, and rightly so are the Freedom Makeup HD Eye Foils* (£5) in the shades 'Metallic 1' and i've been really enjoying the red and copper tones from this little set. I love the warmth that these shadows gives and I find they really make the green in my eyes pop, and work so well with the neutral tones that I always wear. I also love how shimmery these are and they really make my eyeshadow looks pop, and look that little extra festive.

Finally i've really been loving getting back into my Urban Decay Naked Palette (£39.50) as I just forgot how much I liked this palette as you can do so much with the different shades, and i've been really enjoying playing around with this palette. I've been using this with the majority of my makeup looks recently as a base, or a starting point and then using the two previous shadows to create more of an impactful look. If you're just starting to get into eyeshadows, or are looking to invest in a good palette I would highly recommend the UD Naked palettes as they are so worth the money, and work for so many different eye looks!

Have you been moving to more autumnal tones recently?

Take a look at which beauty bits i'm lusting over...

At the moment i'm having a moment with eyeshadows, so i'm lusting over so many palettes and i'm wanting to splurge on all the latest releases! Ever since Urban Decay released their Naked Heat Palette (£39.50) and seeing all of the reviews, i've never wanted a palette so bad! The warm tones are just stunning and so perfect for all the autumnal eye looks! Another palette that has left me stunned after swatching my friends is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette (£43) of which is absolutely stunning and is probably top of the palette list right now! Finally for palettes comes the latest Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette (£60), which is probably the most expensive palette on my list ever but it is absolutely stunning and all of the shades are right up my street!

One release this year that has gotten everyone talking has been Fenty Beauty, so of course i've got a couple of bits on my wish list. Starting off with the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Foundation (£26) of which i've wanted to try for a little while, but after reading some reviews i'm definitely going to need to get myself a tester of this before fully committing to purchasing this! Another product from the range that i've been swooning over is of course the Fenty Beauty Killawatt Highlight Duo (£26) which is an absolutely stunning highlighter, and if I ever get the chance to swatch this best believe I won't be leaving the store without it!

Onto few random bits that i've seen a lot of bloggers talking about recently and have made me want to see what they're all about, and have since made it onto my list. The Urban Decay Trouble Maker Mascara (£19.50) which I mean the packaging itself is enough to make you want it, but from the reviews i've read what is in the tube is amazing. Another product is the Nars Creamy Concealer (£24) which i've wanted to try for years, but is a product i've never had the opportunity to swatch in person to figure out which is my perfect shade. Maybe one day i'll treat myself to this but for now i'll stick with my ever trusty concealers. Continuing on with my love for all things highlighters, the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (£32) is a favourite of mine but I want to try a few different shades of this because i've heard some amazing things and it will mean I can actually photograph one that isn't smashed to pieces!

Finally on my wish list is a fragrance that I absolutely love and they've recently come out with a limited edition version of this fragrance of which I just need to get my hands on! This is of course the Giorgio Armani Si Nacre Sparkling Eau de Parfum (£99), which is essentially the signature Si scent but with a beautiful shimmer to the liquid that is just perfect for the festive period!

What products are on your current beauty wish list?

Continue reading to see which mascara i've been loving, and why you need to try it!

I'm sure you'll of seen a lot of bloggers raving about this mascara recently and rightly so because it deserves all of the good rep that it is getting. The Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara* (£22) was designed from his earliest beauty memory from his Mum and is described as a lash maximising mascara with a ultra concentrated black pigment and smudge free formula to create length and volume in less than three strokes.

When it comes to mascara I always look for one that coats my lashes in just a few swipes and gives a decent amount of length and volume, so this mascara had some very bold statements to live up to and boy did it not let me down. In just the first use I was blown away with how well this coats my lashes, as it instantly gave my lashes some amazing length and the curl on my lashes was almost as good as my every trusty eyelash curlers, which goes to show just how good this mascara is.

My favourite part of this mascara is the wand, which is probably the most important part of a mascara as it really makes or breaks a mascara and how it performs. The wand itself is a bristle style brush which i'm starting to prefer in comparison to my ever loved plastic wand style mascaras, and it has a curved shape to it which is designed to reach all of your lashes, especially the ones in the centre that are often hard to reach. 

All in all this mascara is truly amazing, and the packaging is so luxurious that it instantly makes you feel that little bit extra special!

Have you tried any bits from Marc Jacobs beauty?

*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

As i'm all about sharing blog love and have been meaning to do so recently (as I haven't in a while), I thought i'd share with you some posts that have not only been really informative, but have also inspired me in terms of pushing my blog and content a little more, whilst also knowing my blogs worth.

One area of blogging that I feel isn't spoken about as much as it probably should is sponsored content, and i'm sure we've all dabbled in a bit of sponsored content from time to time but for me it's something i've never really gone after, and have waited for PR's to come to me. A recent post from one of my blog gals Gemma really got me thinking about sponsored content, as she shared some really good tips on how to find sponsored content but also how to ask brands/pr's about it in a way that doesn't come across demanding or down right rude (as I know some people can be from experience). Essentially a lot of what she spoke about I kind of already knew but i've never applied to my blog, purely because i've never felt that my content is worthy, which sounds crazy I know because everyones content is unique but it has really opened my mind up to sponsored content, and how it can really help to build my blog. I'd definitely recommend reading it if you're quite new to the world of sponsored content, because she breaks it down and makes it so easy to understand.

Another one of my close blogging pals Nicole also did a post on sponsored content recently but she also touched on when to say no to blogger collabs, as i'm sure we all once jumped at every opportunity came our way, when in fact sometimes you have to step back and realise that not all collaborations are good for your 'brand'. I loved her post because it made me think back to a few collabs i've accepted this year and in turn just turned out to be quite demanding of my time when in fact they weren't paying me a penny, but I felt that I had to give them what they wanted as they'd sent me a product to review. Granted I accept a lot of products to review for little to no payment, but it's made me take a step back and realise when I really should say no. Again, i'd really recommend reading this especially if your newer to blogging and are wanting to build your blog in a beneficial way when it comes to blogger collabs.

Lastly, one area of blogging that I will probably never get my head around is Google Analytics. Charlotte and analytics have never gone hand in hand and I doubt they ever will but Ellie posted up a really good post all about Google Analytics and although i'm still none the wiser, it's definitely a post that I will be returning to from time to time to try and grasp as much information as I can. If you too struggle with it then i'd definitely give it a read, as she writes it in a way that is easy to understand and doesn't contain a load of tech talk that no one can understand.

Have you read any good/informative blog reads recently?

I feel like highlighters we're quite an under rated product in the beauty world, up until a few years ago and bam everyone had a poppin' cheek bone and hasn't looked back since. For me I never really understood highlighters, that was until I really started to use ones that suited my skin tone, as it definitely isn't a one shade suits all situation. Now that i've discovered which shades work for me it has allowed me to really explore and enjoy highlighters for all that they are.

On a day to day I love me a subtle highlighter, and it's of a night time/evening out that I really go in when it comes to highlighters. One of my favourites for a very long time has been the Topshop Highlighter (£12) in the shade called 'Crescent Moon' and I love this shade as it's a subtle champagne colour that is really build-able and can work for many makeup looks. I often use this during the day as it's quite subtle, but still gives a lovely pop but it can also be layered up to create a more noticeable highlight. What I love about this blush is that it has a very finely milled formula to it and it glides on beautifully making it quite easy to work with, which is great for someone who is quite new to highlighters like I was when I first purchased this.

Another favourite of mine has got to be the 3ina The Highlighter 201* (£) which i've been using on and off now for a few months, and again this is a beautiful champagne highlight shade that is beautiful for an everyday makeup look. The formula of this is slightly different to the Topshop one, and it definitely gives a very subtle glow but again can be built up to give a beautiful glow for an evening makeup look. 

A recent addition into my highlighter collection is the new Lancome x Olympea Le-Tan Cushion Highlighter* (£30) which really intrigued me when I first received this. Firstly the packaging of this is whole collection is beautiful, and I also really like the concept behind this product. If you've ever used their cushion foundation, or any cushion foundation then this works in a really similar way as you dab you brush or sponge into the cushion within the packaging, and then apply this to your face. I typically make sure that I have a very small amount of product on my brush, and apply this as I would any highlighter by sweeping it across my cheek bones. It's slightly different to a normal highlighter, as it appears more matte than shimmery, but I really like this especially for an everyday look where i'm wanting a more subtle glow.

What are your favourite every day highlighters?