NEW YEAR GOALS 2016

Happy New Year! I hope you had a nice NYE! I spent mine at home, watching the fireworks on TV, toasting the New Year with a glass of sparkling elderflower and snacking on cinnamon sugared Churros drizzled with Nutella (amazing!). After noting down last years resolutions and successfully being able to revisit and meet quite a few, I thought that I would make a list for this year too!

1. Declutter.
In 2016 I'm planning on adopting a more organised, minimalistic attitude starting with a huge overhaul of my bedroom. I'm also looking for a better way to organise my make up in 2016, as much as I love my Alex drawers, I don't feel that I utilise them or get the best use of my make up that's stored in it. I also desperately need to clear out my nail polishes!
This year I also hope to change the way that I shop by buying less, better quality things. I'm planning on investing in pieces that I love, rather than buying several of the same thing. Starting with my kitchen I picked up this beautiful pink Anthropologie mug, this gorgeous set of pink alabaster coasters and this dreamy gold cutlery set.

2. Do More.
With anxiety being quite a big issue for me in 2015, I kept to myself, staying indoors most days instead of venturing out. Towards the end of this year, I decided to plan a few exciting events for 2016 so that I can look forward to exploring new places and meeting new people. A few things on the agenda are:
Visit the Harry Potter Studio Tour again (when the Christmas decor is up!).
Discover new farmers markets to find fresh organic seasonal food.
Visit a european Christmas Market.
Join an exercise class, with Alex if only for the lol's at how unfit we are!
Take a day trip to Cambridgeshire.

I also hope to make a little more time 'offline' to do things I love like knitting, calligraphy, cross stitching, colouring in the Harry Potter Colouring book, reading, animal crossing, DIY and yoga.

3. Health.
Starting off the year with a round of Yoga With Adriene's Yoga Camp I hope to propel myself back into exercising after the Christmas slump. I'm also hoping to dust of my NutriBullet and discover some new delicious, healthy smoothie recipes to make daily. My new Spiralizer makes preparing lunch a dream, courgetti with pesto and toasted cashew nuts or halloumi is my new favourite thing to eat!

A few additional goals include:
Staying positive.
Organise, clear out and print out my favourite photos.
Reorganise and update my kitchen.
Read more, aim for a book a month (at least).
Invest in a few, healthy cookbooks to work my way through and to create new signature dishes.
Make wedding planning a priority, save, plan and start to buy things ready for the day!
Grow more, start a windowsill herb garden.

What are your New Years resolutions/goals?

DECEMBER'S RED FAVOURITES

December flashed me by in a whirl of tinsel and Christmas chocolates, It feels like this whole year has just flown by! The mild December days were disappointingly quite un-festive and I found myself buying cooler satin pyjamas to pair with my warm winter duvet. Christmas brought a well needed break with good food, family visits and festivities.
Our engagement anniversary (is that even a thing?) popped up with Alex surprising me with this beautiful new ring box and another pair of dreamy Asos Satin pj's!

Beauty:

Essie's Leading Lady seems a fitting favourite for this festive month, It's a gorgeous sparkly deep red with flecks of raspberry glitter running through it. I've been pairing it with soft grey knits, leggings, cosy jumpers, hot chocolates - everything! It's practically the only nail polish Ive been wearing this month!

For my hair, I've been using the Denman Grooming Brush to smooth out curls, it gives you effortless soft curls leaving you with silky tresses.

On my lips, I've been reaching for L'Oreal Exclusives Lipstick in Blake, it's such a festive, flattering red. With jojoba oil it keeps my lips soft which is ideal in winter. Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in Cruella is another favourite this month, it's creamy on application, long lasting and so festive.
With all the matte lipsticks, central heating and (slightly) colder weather my lips have been a little dry lately, EOS lip balms have been my top lip balm pick this month, they're so handy to pop in your bag and as they're packed with shea butter, vitamin e and jojoba oil they keep my lips supple and soft.

This faux fur pom pom keyring is a fairly new addition to my bag and adds a little colour to my otherwise mainly black outfit choices! It's so cute and fluffy, I have my eye on these Dune ones next, those ears!

Space NK sent me the Prismologie The Red Hour Foaming Body Scrub as a little Ndulge birthday gift in November, I'm not sure that I would have tried this otherwise but I'm so glad I have. It's a divine body scrub that polishes the skin non abrasive particles to gently exfoliate, with micro ruby crystals, coconut extract and volcanic spring powder it's such a luxe treat!

Lastly I switched back to Bioderma this month after finishing up my Garnier micellar water, Bioderma feels less stripping, it leaves my skin feeling soft, clear and removes make up with ease.

What were your favourite products in December?

FAVOURITE DISCOVERIES OF 2015

I've had quite a few new favourites this year ranging from beauty to food, there's been so many great discoveries!

Starting with the food category, I made so many great dairy free finds this year. From salted caramel ice-cream to vegan mac and cheese I've found an alternative to all of my favourites this year. I also got a little obsessed with sauerkraut this year, packed with vitamins and with incredible probiotic properties I guess its not the worst thing to be addicted to!

Another great discovery for me this year was Netflix (I'm a little late to the game). I've watched some unbelievable series this year, Once Upon a Time is one of my top picks, with Disney, magic and enchanted forests for me there's nothing not to love! Me and Alex binge watched all 7 series of Sons Of Anarchy in autumn, one for the Breaking Bad/Sopranos fan this gem is not to be missed. Lastly, Merlin stole my heart, almost harry potter-eque, witty and charming this series was a great little find.

With H&M home, Anthropologie and Homebase producing some cult/sort after pieces this year 2015 saw my love for homewares rocket. Diptyque candles also started to make an appearance in my home, their dreamy scents and packaging seriously upping my shelfie game.

My favourite album this year surprisingly goes to Justin Bieber's Purpose, after having it on repeat throughout the past couple of months I'm pretty sure I know all of the words backwards by now!

There's been some great cruelty free make up and skincare finds this year, with brands like Becca, Charlotte Tilbury, Nars, Hourglass, Oskia and By Terry I've had a great range of options to choose from.
The Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel has completely boosted my skincare regime, it's changed my lacklustre skin into a soft, radiant complexion. I also finally took the plunge and ordered the Hourglass Ambient Lighting blusher in Mood Exposure last autumn, this finely milled, silky soft blusher is one of my top picks - I'm already saving my Space NK points up for another!
I also have to note the Nars lip pencils, although they were a discovery in late December last year, their dreamy formula has pushed them to the top of my favourite lip products. I'm waiting patiently for Torres Del Paine, a limited edition, dreamy peach coral to come back so that I can snap up a full sized one!

Lastly, I have to give a little mention to ASOS who have saved me on a number of occasions in 2015 with last minute/next day Wedding Guest dress options, events pieces and gift options! These Satin Cami Pyjamas were a great discovery for me, I also found a the perfect wedding guest dress (similar here) that saved me from a wardrobe disaster in April!

What were your favourite discoveries of 2015?

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BOXING DAY SALE PICKS

I decided not to brave the sales this year, instead I'm tucked up under a pile of billowy blankets, a mug of hot chocolate in hand and rosemary potatoes roasting in the oven in preparation for my another Christmas dinner.

With Christmas money to be spent, reduced items that I've had my eye on for ages and absolute steals cropping up on twitter, I've taken to my laptop to browse the sales.

Asos is always worthwhile a visit to browse their offerings, Space NK have some incredible beauty deals, along with Net A Porter and Topshop too! Here are my picks of the online sales today - happy browsing/shopping!

A PAMPERING CHRISTMAS EVE ROUTINE

For me, Christmas Eve is a time to pamper, watch films, indulge on chocolates and prepare for Christmas day. After frantically finishing off any last minute wrapping, packing up gifts and baking gingerbread men I breathe a sigh of relief and have a little pamper.

I start off my Christmas Eve pampering routine by melting into an early afternoon Lush bath. This year I'm saving the Lush Father Christmas bath bomb especially for the occasion, with a sweet candyfloss scent and swirls of festive red and green clouds in the bath it sounds like the perfect treat!

To prep my skin, the Oskia Renaissance Cleaning Gel really does it all for me. The cleansing and restoring combination of vitamins and pumpkin enzymes leave me with a radiant and smooth complexion that's ready for Christmas Day.

For my body, I'm planning on slathering myself in the Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream, this ultra rich, nourishing cream is ideal for winter, it leaves skin silky soft and smells divine, like sweet spiced ginger.

After climbing into the most Christmassy set of pyjamas that I can find, I'm planning on winding down by watching a Christmas film or two with a cinnamon hot chocolate to hand whilst I get to work on my glittery Christmas mani. I normally reach for Essie Leading Lady or Essie Toggle to the Top which are sparkly reds but this year I'm tempted to switch it up a little and try Essie Fashion Flares, a raspberry/ magenta glitter with black glitter which looks gorgeous as a light layer sprinkled over the nails.

I'm then planning on packing up my Charlotte Tilbury make up bag with all my Christmas day make up (red lips and glittery eyeshadows are a must!), before gathering up the presents and driving home to stay with family ready for Christmas Day!

What are you plans on Christmas Eve?

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FIVE FESTIVE RED LIPSTICKS

It's the time of year that leaves me reaching for a red lipstick on a daily basis. Paired with winged liner and highlighted skin a red lip gives a classic look that's also oh so festive. I've pulled together a little list of my favourite picks below for winter and the festive season.

The newest addition to my lipstick stash is Clinique Cherry Pop, a bright flattering blue toned red. Inbuilt with a primer, this long-lasting lipstick packs a punch with it's fresh, bold pigments. This lipstick is so perky and festive - one to pair with a LBD and bouncy curls for Christmas parties.

It's no surprise that a Nars lip pencil is among my top picks, everything from the creamy formula to the incredible pigmentation make these lip products divine. Nars Velvet Matte lipstick in Cruella is a deep scarlet red that's creamy on application, super long lasting and gives a gorgeous velvet matte finish on the lips.

When my lips are feeling a little dry I reach for L'Oreal Exclusive Reds in Blake. Despite being a matte formula it keeps lips soft and hydrated thanks to the addition of jojoba oil. The most sophisticated red I own, this cool toned red gives an effortless polished look that's perfect for winter.

Similar to Ruby Woo, MAC RiRi Woo is a gorgeous deep matte red with cool undertones. The pigmented formula means that you just need one swipe for lasting colour. This is the shade I'm wearing in the photo above, it's such a christmassy shade!

Lastly, Sleek Matte me in Rioja Red is normally my Christmas day lipstick. It has the most incredible staying power, lasting for hours before fading to a stain. As it's a liquid lipstick it can be quite tricky to apply, but once set in place it's completely budge-proof meaning that I can eat and drink as much as I like without having to worry about touching up my lipstick!

What's your favourite red lipstick?

10 THINGS TO DO OVER CHRISTMAS

With Christmas week fast approaching, I've pulled together a little list of all things festive to do over the Christmas period. It feels like December is flying past and so I want to cram in as much Christmassy things as possible next week, these are the 10 things that I'm planning to do over the festive period:

1. Pick up a copy of the Radio Times and circle the best TV picks over Christmas.

2. Get any last minute Christmas presents, I always wrap up a couple of big bars of chocolate and put them under the tree for any surprise visitors. I've got my gift guides here for last minute inspiration too!

3. Pull out all of the glittery, sparkly, shimmery Christmassy make up to wear.

4. Make festive popcorn - drizzle melted white chocolate over popcorn, sprinkle red and green sugar strands over and add a dash of ground ginger/cinnamon. Then have a Christmas film marathon!

5. Put on the Christmas bedding - you know the kind, the soft, cosy nordic printed brushed cotton type like this dreamy set.

6. Pick up that Christmas jumper that you've had your eye on (I love this one) or keep an eye out for a steal in the sales!

7. Make Star Wars snowflakes, they're fun to make and look so impressive! Tie them around gifts wrapped in brown paper (like this) for a cute gift wrap idea for the boys!

8. Wear your favourite red lipstick and paint your nails with a festive glittery shade like Essie Tassel Shaker.

9. Visit a Christmas market for mulled wine, cute decorations and carols.

10. Relax. Christmas is a time to unwind, eat good food, visit family and indulge a little!

What are your plans over the festive period?