CHRISTMAS GIFTS 2014

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope you all had a lovely day with your family and friends. This post is to show you all some of my favourite gifts I received this year for christmas. I am not at all bragging in any way I am very grateful for everything I received and as I personally enjoy these type's of posts a lot I have decided to write one myself. 

( Cloud Nine Luxury The Touch Gift Set - CLOUDNINEHAIR.COM )

( Platform Boots - H&M )

( Objects of Affection / Nude + Coral Lipglass - MAC )

( MAC Lipstick in Snob - MAC )

( Soap & Glory The Soapremes Gift Set - BOOTS )

( Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Gift Set - BOOTS ) 

( Ted Baker Gift Set - BOOTS )

( Soap & Glory Birthday Wishes Gift Set - BOOTS )

( Tartan Scarf - TILLETTS )

( 2015 Diary - CLINTON CARDS )

Alice xxxx

♡ SMALL BOOTS HAUL ♡

( BOOTS )

On saturday I treated myself to a few beauty products as I had very kindly received a Boots Gift Card from my uncle and his lovely girlfriend who came to visit us. 

( Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - BOOTS  )

( Soap & Glory Mist You Madly Mini Body Spray - BOOTS )

I have been lusting after the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash for quite some time now, I'm a massive fan of all of the Soap & Glory products that I have tried so far and I hope to try more in the future. I am specifically interested in the 'Sugar Crush' range as the scent is so delicious. All of Soap & Glory's products are well-known for their lovely packaging and clever names and I think that the 'Sugar Crush' line are all especially eye-catching. 

I have been inconsistently using Soap & Glory's Mist You Madly Body Spray for a few years now and I re-bought a bottle at the start of september so that I could take it to school daily. I have since used it all up and as I went to re-purchase it noticed that all of the skincare and beauty items were on a 3 for 2 offer at Boots. I decided to stock up and buy a back up because I go through each bottle of body spray in a matter of weeks. 

( Cotton Wool Double Faced Oval Pads - BOOTS )

Now cotton wool pads are an essential but I usually just go for the regular circular ones, but as I've been using them to remove my makeup and cleanse with Environ's Sebuwash I have been getting through on average 10 a day, which is a lot. I decided to try the larger oval pads to try and reduce the amount I am using, effectively not having to constantly buy so many. I have only used them once so far and 2 pads was more than enough to remove my entire face of makeup,including my eyes. These ones have 2 specifically designed surface's one is for cleansing, the other for removing nail polish and such, so they are not rough on your skin.

( Rimmel London Day 2 Night - BOOTS )

I know that this is by no mean's new on the market but I have wanted to try Rimmel's Day 2 Night Mascara ever since one of my friends with such lovely lashes used it years and years ago. I have been switching between 3 different mascaras for the past month or so and wasn't happy with how any of them made my lashes look, so I decided it was time to get a new one. I haven't used it much yet so hopefully there will be a review coming after I have properly tried it out, if anyone would like to hear my thoughts. One of the main things that attracted me to this mascara was the fact that you're basically getting 2-in-1, there is only one wand but there are two different thickness' you can choose from, as to if you want more product on your brush or less. I am very excited to start using this.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Alice x

♡ MICELLAR WATER // GARNIER ♡

( Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - BOOTS / SUPERDRUG )

Cleansing waters have been massively raved about ever since the infamously hard to get your hands on BIODERMA, which has only recently been made widely available for people of the UK to purchase, came about on the scene. Those who tried it, loved it. Unfortunately I still haven't been able to try Bioderma but there has been a lot of drugstore dupes from brands such as GARNIER , L'OREAL and NIVEA.

A cleansing water is basically an easy, kind to your skin way to gently remove your makeup. You just need to apply a few drops of the product to a cotton pad and gently wipe around your face, eyes and lips. One of the main selling points to a micellar water is that it requires no rinsing at all. I find that a lot of make up wipes ( excluding SIMPLE ) leave my skin red and sore but when using the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water I didn't get any of that at all, my skin even felt softer and healthier. 

I have since used up the entire bottle and would most definitely purchase this again, but I am currently trying out a new skincare brand recommended by my beauty therapist during a skin consultation. I am sure I will be reviewing those products soon enough. Anyway, this is a really affordable, long lasting product that works flawlessly and overall I would highly recommend it. What do you think of Cleansing Waters?

Alice x

♡ METALLIC MINI PURSE // RIVER ISLAND ♡

( ASOS )

A while ago now I purchased this stunning metallic mini purse as I had seen it being sold online at ASOS. As you all know ASOS' free worldwide delivery can be tempting at the best of times, but when I saw the price of this lovely purse at just £5.00 I couldn't resist.

( River Island Mini Purse - RIVER ISLAND )

This exact style/colour is not sold anymore however when I have visited River Island stores previously I have spotted pastel blue's and pink's, so just keep your eyes peeled. I have found a few online that you may be interested in - Cream Textured Mini Purse, Black Snake Mini Purse and Black Textured Geometric Print Purse all for the same astonishing price of just £5.00.

The purse is so small and can easily fit into any bag as it isn't very bulky at all. However as you can see from the photograph below it does have plenty of room for safe secure storage. It has two main pockets, each of those including more than enough space for one bank/credit card.

Lots of love 

Alice xxxxx

♡ HYPERGEL REVIEW // MODELS OWN ♡

(Models Own £5.00 Each L-R White Light HERE, Pink Veneer HERE and Lilac Sheen HERE.)

Models Own recently launched their HyperGel collection which consists of 10 different shades. When they were holding a 50% off sale in aid of their Facebook page reaching 250,000 likes, I couldn't resist making a few purchases including these lovely polishes. The HyperGel Polishes are supposed to give you the effect of the increasingly popular Shellac or Gel Nails but without using any UV. The colour choice isn't too overwhelming but  I managed to find these three, which to me are extremely appealing and I will hopefully be getting a good amount of use out of them.

When I first applied Pink Veneer I was very pleasantly surprised by how easily it went on, and how opaque the polish is. So far this is the only one I've tried and it hasn't made any signs of chipping and has already been on my nails for 4 days!

I would definitely recommend the HyperGel polishes as a much cheaper alternative to salon prices for gel nails, definitely give them a go especially if you're thinking of trying Shellac or such.

☆ Alice ☆

♡ FEBRUARY WISHLIST // BEAUTY ♡

(Tanya Burr's Lipgloss in 'Afternoon Tea' HERE £6.99) - This month there has been an unmissable hysteria surrounding the very exciting launch of Tanya Burr's Lips and Nails. Every review I have set my eyes on so far has been extremely positive and all of the shades look very appealing, especially the lipgloss in 'Afternoon Tea' which I think would be a very wearable everyday shade.

(Barry M Silk Nail Effects Collection HERE £3.99) - I am such a sucker for anything pastel coloured and I'm really excited to try some metallic's as I don't often opt for a metallic. Personally I have tried quite a wide range of different nail polish brands including OPI and always find myself preferring Barry M.

(Tanya Burr's Nail Polish in 'Mini Marshmallows' HERE £5.99) - Out of all of Tanya's Polishes this is the one that stood out to me at a first glance, and my mind was made up when she wore the lovely 'Mini Marshmallows' in a recent video.

(Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove HERE £43.75) - I can't remember exactly where/who's blog I stumbled across to find the extremely overpriced Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove, but either way I am lusting after one to make my life so much easier. It has literally every possible thing you could think of to help keep your brushes looking fresh,clean and undamaged.

(Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel in 'Lavender Soap' (AVAILABLE FROM MARCH HERE ) £6.49) - This new release from Revlon is a scented Nail Polish, which always goes down well, I have already spotted a lovely lavender shade/scented polish that I can't wait to try.

(Chanel N°5 Eau De Parfum Spray HERE £47.50 - £94.50) - The iconic Chanel N°5 is nothing new by any means, but after I recently had a sniff in my local Debenhams I fell in love. It's not the sort of thing that you can impulse buy however, so I guess I will have to wait for December 25th to roll around.

(MAC Baking Beauties Pearl-Matte Face Powder in 'In For A Treat' HERE £21.50) - Now I know this was a limited edition product in a collection MAC did a while back, but it's just so so pretty and I kept seeing it everywhere so I decided to go on a mini search for it. And as with most things on the internet you can find anything if you look hard enough, fortunately for me I didn't have to look too hard as I found the beautiful powder still on sale in Selfridges, so I will be making a sneaky purchase as soon as I can!!!

(Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in 'Audacious' HERE £7.99) - I've never been brave enough to embrace the orange lips trend but recently I've been trying to focus on my own opinion of myself rather than other peoples, so I possibly may venture into some bright chubby lip pencils. Revlon are a favourite of mine for lip products too so I already know the Matte Balms are going to be great.

☆ Alice ☆

♡ FEBRUARY WISHLIST // CLOTHING ♡

(Topshop MOTO Vintage Borg Denim Jacket HERE £58.00) - My first pick would have to be this borg lined denim jacket I have been lusting after for what seems like forever, I just think it's effortlessly pretty and the shade of blue is a lot more 'spring' which makes me happy that we're moving away from the endless dark-ness of A/W. The denim jacket is a very wearable item and is such a staple piece that would get used at every possible opportunity if I were to own it.

(Topshop Mint Textured Swing Coat HERE £89.00) - My personal favourite, must have item of the past few months would have to be the 'boyfriend coat', most commonly seen in the attractive pink shade. I have no shame in admitting that my weakness is just about anything in pastel colours, and it comes as no surprise that although this lovely mint coat has a hefty price tag, it doesn't put me off in the slightest and I see it as an investment.

(New Look Petite Pink Textured Zip Back Boxy Top HERE £14.99) - The next thing I have chosen is a plain pastel pink top, with zip detailing on the back, which can be worn in many different ways. For example you could dress it up with a statement necklace and a black faux leather skort, or play it down with just some simple Joni Jeans and a Denim Jacket, it's a staple piece in anyone's wardrobe.

(Topshop Tall Brush Gingham Aline Skirt HERE £36.00) - Now I may have made the slight mistake of not realising that the beautiful skirt is currently only being sold specifically in 'Tall' and I am by no means tall so this upsets me. But if you do happen to be blessed with long legs then by all means jump at the chance to own this stunning gingham piece :(

(Topshop ALLSORTS Chelsea Boots HERE £45.00) - AHH BEAUTIES!!! These stunning boots are another take on the ever so popular Chelsea Boots, and I can't take my eyes off of them. I think they could be paired with so many things and just completely pull it off, such as the previously mentioned 'Gingham Skirt' or even just some hot pants to dress them down in the summer of 2014 which is vastly approaching.

☆ Alice ☆

♡ FAUX LEATHER BACKPACK // NEW LOOK ♡

(New Look £17.99 HERE)

 It's been a good 5 weeks now since I gained possession of this cute little faux leather backpack, and boy have I already gotten my use out of it. The high standards are visible of the very well made little bag, there are no visible signs of wearing and I have been using it every chance I get, loading up with 'essentials'. As everyone knows black goes with everything - blah, blah, blah, but this really is just easy to style and seems to pretty much be one of those things you really don't have to think much about.

Now I have to put it out there, whenever I leave the house I deem it necessary to take a large selection of everything I own with me just in case I need it, which seems to put my mind at rest for the most part so I don't question the common habit. My point is that although the backpack looks small and weak don't let looks deceive you as in fact it's very capable of carrying rather a lot.

☆ Alice ☆