The last few bits I have to show you are room based presents, as i'm wanting to give my room a little overhaul at make it look a bit more clean and more me. From my Dad and Stepmum, they very kindly treated me to this stunning Oliver Bonas Pink Marble Lamp (£45) which I told him off for getting me, but I absolutely love it and has already taken pride and place on my bed side table! My Mum also got me this beautiful 'Dream' Gold Sign, which I will be putting up on a shelf above my bed which fingers crossed will be going up next week, and i'm beyond excited to decorate it. 

Finally from my nail lady, she very kindly got me this M&S Zodiac Candle (£6) which is just absolutely stunning, and anyone who knows me will know that star signs and zodiac is a big thing for me, and I just love this cute little candle!

So those are the few bits that I got for Christmas, as well as too much chocolate and of course some fluffy socks!

Did you get anything nice for Christmas?

As this is my last post before Christmas, I firstly want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and secondly I also thought i'd share the ways in which i'll be winding down in the run up to Christmas.

Having some down time - In true Christmas style, i'll definitely be enjoying some down time for now until New Year as I officially break up from work today! In terms of the blog, I will be taking the Christmas days off from blogging but I will be back with a 'what I got for Christmas' style post early next week, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Catching up with friends and family - In the run up to Christmas i've ensured to make plans to see friends and family, of who I don't see that often by just taking advantage of this time as it's not often that I get the time to see them whenever I can.

Watching Harry Potter back to back - It's not Christmas without a bit of Harry Potter, and i'll definitely be whipping out my box set whilst snuggling up on the sofa with a large chia latte and a cookie or two!

Prepping the Christmas day feast - As we're hosting this year, i'm really looking forward to the prepping of the Christmas day dinner, which might sound more stressful but I absolutely love it as it get's me into the festive spirit good and proper!

Wrapping the last few presents - It's not Christmas if you haven't finished wrapping presents until the day before is it?! I've absolutely loved wrapping my presents this year, as i've gone for a cute little theme that I just love! If you're still stuck for some wrapping inspiration, make sure to check out my latest post.

How are you winding down for Christmas?

A beauty brand that I never thought i'd dream of working with would be Charlotte Tilbury and they ever so kindly sent over a couple of gifting bits of which would make a lovely beauty gift for any beauty lovers out there. This year they have released their Beauty Icons Giftset* (£55) which contains five of Charlotte Tilbury's best selling products, which include the Charlotte's Magic Cream, Wonderglow Primer and a few more products all of which come in a beautiful branded box, and would make a beautiful gift this Christmas.

Also for anyone who loves a bit of fragrance, then you cannot go wrong with the Charlotte Tilbury Scent of a Dream Perfume* (£68) which is probably the most sophisticated perfume i've ever seen or smelt. It has a beautiful classic smell that would make a perfect gift for any fragrance lover out there.

Finally for this last minute gift guide I have a bit of fragrance for you from Ghost who have released some lovely, yet affordable gift sets this Christmas that would make perfect presents and also stocking fillers for anyone this Christmas!

For anyone who loves their fragrance but also their beauty products in general then the Ghost Whitelight Gift Set* (£38) which contains a full size and also a handbag/travel size of their well known Whitelight fragrance, as well as a little holographic clutch bag, a compact mirror, a silver nail polish and a lip gloss! Now for what you get in this gift set, I think it's an absolute bargain and would be a lovely gift to give this Christmas.

For stocking fillers, they have released their Ghost To The Moon & Back Gift Set* (£12) which contains two of their iconic fragrances and also a mini lipgloss, which again would be a lovely little gift to give this Christmas! Finally they have also released a few gift sets of which double as cute Christmas tree decorations and I personally love when brands do this. This year they have released mini's of all of their perfumes, of which come with a nail varnish to match and the one they kindly sent over to me was the Ghost Sweetheart Mini* (£8) but unfortunately this one seems to have sold out everywhere, so it must be proving popular! However all of the others are still available, and for £8 you can't go wrong!

I hope this last minute gift guide was of some help, as there are so many wonderful gift sets out on the market this year !

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?

This year i've also decided to do things slightly different and for a couple of my family members i've decided to do them a Christmas style hamper, as a way to display their gifts but so they can also use the hampers at a later date. Hobby Craft stock a selection of different sized hampers, but I opted for the 36cm Wooden Hamper (£10) which are such a decent size and fit a good amount of gifts in! They also sell loads of hamper dressing bits as well as this Decorate a Hamper Kit (£25) which comes with everything you'd need to dress a hamper!

What wrapping themes have you gone for this year?

When it comes to home and interiors a favourite of mine has got to be Amara Living as they stock a wide range of brands and also products for anyone and everyone. This year they have an amazing range products that would make beautiful gifts and they have kindly sent over a couple of products to feature from two of my favourite brands. Any girl would be thrilled to receive anything from Kate Spade this Christmas, and the Kate Spade Daisy Plate Dish* (£31) would make the perfect gift for any girl to store her daily jewellery on. Another brand I love have recently released a range of candles and my favourite from the range is the Ted Baker London Scented Candle* (£28). The packaging of these candles is very traditional to the brand, but also look stunning and would be perfect for anyone who loves a candle or two!

At Christmas you can't go wrong with a DVD or two, and during the last couple of months a few decent films have come out and would make a pretty good stocking filler. A personal favourite of mine is Girls Trip (£9.99) which is absolutely hilarious, as I found myself laughing the entire way through and a proper good chick flick! For the guys the latest Fast & Furious 8 (£8.99) has not long come out DVD and again would make a good stocking filler or an extra present for any guys that love their car films!

What lifestyle bits have you asked for this Christmas?

Get ready to put on your best party heels, and sparkle like the fairy lights on the Christmas tree..

In my recent Black Friday hauling I treated myself to a new bottle of the Lancome Tient Idole Ultra Wear Foundation (£31.50) as I absolutely love this foundation as it gives amazing coverage but it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin, whilst also giving a beautiful dewy glow. For concealer in conjunction with my forever favourite Collection Last Perfection Concealer (£3.99) i've been loving the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream* (£30) which I know is technically a foundation but it gives really good coverage on my blemishes whilst also working as a really under eye highlight.

For contour I typically use two products, firstly a cream and then i'll go over that with a powder based contour and currently i'm loving using the Rimmel Duo Contour Stick* (£6.99) and the Tarte Pro Glow To Go Highlight & Contour Palette (£23). Typically i'll apply the contour stick to the hallows of my cheeks, along my jaw line and a very small amount on the top of my forehead and blend those in, and i'll then use the powder to bronze and set my contour in place. I find that using these two product together works really well, whilst also still looking fairly natural and not too overly contoured.

For the eyes i've been absolutely obsessed with the Huda Beauty Mauve Obsessions Palette (£25) as the mauve shades are absolutely stunning and the shimmery shades to make my eyes pop like no other shadows have before. If you're on the hunt for a new palette i'd highly recommend checking out these latest releases from Huda Beauty because they're so versatile. For eyeliner I always opt for my trusty Lancome Grandiose Liner* (£25) as it's the only liner that I can get those precise cat eye flicks with. To finish off the eye I always go for the Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara* (£21) as it works wonders but if you're wanting to go a little more glam with some falsies i'd highly recommend the Esqido Miss Dolly Lashes* ($29).

For brows I always go for the ABH Dip Brow (£19) when it comes to glam makeup looks as there is just no other brow product to top it and I love how defined it makes my brows! For highlight i've recently rekindled my love for the Becca Cosmetics Champagne Pop Shimmery Skin Perfector (£32) and I just love how beautiful this highlight is! It gives the most stunning highlight and I get so many compliments on it! Finally to finish off for lipstick I always pull out the Charlotte Tilbury Love Liberty Lipstick (£24) as this time of year as it's a truly stunning plum toned red and just looks stunning with a mauve eye look.

What are your go to glam beauty loves?

Shopping for women can often be harder than shopping for men, but hopefully this gift guide will give you some ideas as i've covered all kinds of budgets, from little to large.

First up let's talk electricals, and keep your minds out of the gutter here i'm talking hair and skincare tools! One of my favourite and most used beauty electrical's are my Cloud Nine The Touch Straighteners (£115) of which I use to style my hair in so many ways, whether it be straightening or curling these are amazing. What is also great is that they turn on by simply touching the plates together, and then turn themselves off if they haven't been used for longer than 30 seconds, which means the panic of 'have I turned my straighteners off?!' is a distant memory! Another beauty electrical that has changed my skincare routine is the Magnitone Barefaced Shimmer Cleansing Brush* (£90), which i've done a separate review on which you can read here, but this would make a lovely gift this Christmas especially for any skincare lover out there.

For makeup lovers, there are some cracking products out there at the moment and I recently took full advantage of the deals on Cult Beauty and ordered a few bits. For the lipgloss lover, Jouer have brought out their Best of Lip Toppers Collection (£29) which contains eight of their best selling lip toppers. This would make a great gift for someone who already loves their lip toppers, or for anyone wanting to try them out as they retail for around £13 on their own, so for just over double the price it gives you the opportunity to try out a good selection of shades. Another beauty release that I couldn't resist treating myself to was the Huda Beauty Mauve Obsessions Palette (£25) as i've seen some raving reviews and they haven't disappointed as I absolutely love this palette, as would any beauty lover out there.

Another gift that you cannot go wrong with is fragrance, and my love for fragrance has grown a lot over the past year or so. Personal favourites of mine, and also a large proportion of my friends are Giorgio Armani SI (£52) which is a beautiful classy fragrance, and also Paco Rabanne Olympea (£46) which is a more flirty sexy fragrance that I just love! As we all know a lot of retailers will be stocking gift sets of a large selection of fragrances, which you just can't go wrong with.

Speaking of gift sets, every year The Body Shop absolutely kill it with their Christmas sets as you can buy from a selection of products big or small, so every budget is covered. I personally love their sets and a favourite of mine is their Shea Festive Picks Set (£20) which contains four of their best selling shea butter products, as well as a bath lily (yes had to google what one of those is called), all of which comes packaged in a lovely box taking the effort out of wrapping!

The last gift idea of this years gift guide for her is of course from Daniel Wellington who I love teaming up with at this time of year. This year they have an amazing selection of watches and bundles to choose from to make an extra special gift this year! One that i've been loving and have not stopped wearing is their Classic Petite Melrose* (£109) which is this absolutely stunning rose gold watch that just goes with all of my rose gold accessories. I recently did a post talking all things rose gold wrist accessories of which you can read all about here. Don't forget you can get 15% off with my code 'STYLEANDSPLURGING', so make sure to take full advantage if you're thinking of ordering from them.

Below i've linked a few more gift ideas, of some amazing beauty gift sets that are available this year!

What beauty bits are on your Christmas list?

(P.S - I have a little giveaway running on my Twitter where you can win a Magnitone Barefaced Shimmer Cleansing Brush. Find out more here!)

Similarly to most cleansing brushes, this is designed to remove excess oil, dirt, makeup and dead skin cells from the skin, whilst also toning the skin at the same time which is exactly what I need right now! This cleansing brush comes with two different brush heads, the Active Clean Brush Head made up of soft bristles that work to get into your pores to purify and remove excess dirt and oil, and also the Stimulator Brush Head which stops you from using excessive amounts of product, which ensures your pores don't get clogged.

Now I absolutely have loved using this cleansing brush so far as it's super easy to use and it's very user friendly. The brush heads are super easy to change and the wireless USB charger makes life just so much easier, and it comes with a little travel bag to keep everything in one place. My favourite feature of this facial cleaner is the timer, so it allows you spend 20 seconds on each area of your face so you know you're not overly cleaning your face, and therefor stripping your skin. 

So far i've really noticed how much brighter my skin appears and how much cleaner my skin feels, which has completely changed my skincare routine for the better. What is also great is that this cleansing brush is suitable for all skin types, so no matter what skin concern you have this product is totally fine for you to use.

So if you're on the hunt for a facial cleansing brush or you know someone who would love one for Christmas i'd highly recommend this one!

Have you tried any facial cleansing brushes?

Here's a few festive things i'm really excited for this December...

Putting up the Christmas tree - I mean of course this is top of the list because what else is as exciting other than Christmas day itself than decorating the Christmas tree! This year we're hosting Christmas day and i've made a point of demanding we have a real tree and by real, I mean a huge real tree! Every year I decorate the tree and every year I go for a different colour theme, so i'm excited to get experimenting!

Finishing my gift guides - If you've been following my blog for a while, then you'll know that every year I put up a few gift guides and this year the stress has been real! I finally posted my first gift guide this week, which you can read here but i'm very aware that my gift guides are a lot later than everyone else's and the stress is real! Having said that over the next two weeks you'll be getting gift guides left, right and centre from me so watch out for those.

Enjoying all of the Christmas parties/dinners - I like to think i'm very lucky to have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas more than once and this year I have four different celebrations planned. Our team at work are going for a cute Christmas meal next week at the local pub, and the following week we have our office Christmas party, which i'm so excited for (Give me all the prosecco, yass)! Also because my Dad lives in Plymouth we have a few things planned when I go to visit, and then of course Christmas day itself. I'm already accepting the fact i'm going to put back on all the weight i've lost these past few months!

Spending time with loved ones - I know Christmas isn't the only time to do this, but I love that Christmas brings everyone together. I have definitely taken for granted the years when I was younger when I was able to see family fairly often, whereas now being in a full time job it's not as easy so i'm really looking forward to seeing my family and friends over the festive period!

Giving gifts - There is nothing more that I love at Christmas than spoiling my family and friends. I'm one of those that loves giving and seeing everyone's faces beaming with happiness, as it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!

Enjoying some down time - This kind of links into a few of these goals but I can't wait for some time off. Some time to myself to just recoup, chill and get myself geared up for the New Year!

What are your plans for December?

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!

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?