Gift Guide 2012: Red Festive Nail Look with Essie!

Left: Essie She's Pampered - Right: Essie Leading Lady

from the Winter 2012 Collection...

A hot chocolate and donut later I decided to share the nail look I'm wearing today before I join Mr Barney on the sofa... Essie She's Pampered and Leading Lady both are from the current Winter 2012 Collection... She's Pampered is one of the reds from the collection, it's a saturated scarlet red, very beautiful and festive indeed! And the Leading Lady is a self-sufficient sheer magenta shade with glitter particles, pretty over any other nail polish or would be cute on its own too! See the entire Essie Winter 2012 Collection by clicking here!

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Espa Winter Spice Candle!

Espa Winter Spice Candle comes with its very own pedestal,  which I only discovered as I was about to throw out the box...  

The stand is made out of dark wood, very elegant and sophisticated!

Out of all candles I have sniffed through this month, Espa Winter Spice Candle is hands down my favourite winter candle... It literally smells of Christmas! The scent fills the room with a classic Christmas market spirit and scent, a delicious mix of the sweets, the mulled wine, spices... Winter Spice is their signature fragrance, infused with rich warm aroma... On a cold crisp evening, having a cosy night in cuddled up watching an old movie with this candle burning is just perfection.... It comes in an elegant and sleek box, the candle itself is in a chocolate brown matte glass pot, which is very Japanese in its style... And I will keep the glass pot after it's empty and use for something else, maybe for a dried roses arrangement... It couldn't be a better night to burn this exquisite candle as it is absolutely freezing tonight in London and it might even snow, a cup of hot chocolate is an order! 

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Home Décor Ideas with The White Company...

I thought to include some home décor gift ideas in my Christmas Gift Guide! It's always lovely to give your close ones something they would really love and be part of their style, something they'd keep for a long time... The White Company is a great place when it comes to home décor, there are so many things to choose from - bathrobes, cushions, candles, you name it... Everything looks very cosy and soft... The other day I dropped by The White Company store to see what they have for Christmas, and there were quite a few pretty things! Having an addiction to the antique style mirror glass + candle holders,  I absolutely fell in love with these two, the detailing on them is just beautiful! My grandmother used to have drinking glasses with delicate cut out petals and flowers, which that long candle holder reminded me of... Both of the candle holders came to £20, making it a very affordable and pretty gift!

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Caudalie Divine Oil Gift Box!

 The Divine Oil comes in a lux heavy glass spray bottle with a wooden lid
and on the back  it has the grape vine shape carved out, a stunning looking bottle...

Continuing the gift ideas saga, here is another one of my picks... I love Caudalie skincare in general as it is really good to my skin and free from harmful chemicals that you can occasionally get in skincare... I absolutely adore this sleek gift box as it has two of their best-selling products, the Divine Oil which can be used on body, face, and hair, and the legendary Crushed Cabernet Scrub... I say legendary as Caudalie is known for their vineyards and the goodness of the grape they scientifically use in their skincare... The first time I heard about the Crushed Cabarnet Scrub was when watching one of AModelRecommends videos, where Ruth features it when she goes to the Spa Caudalie at Les Etangs de Corot in Paris and tres one of their treatments, talking about the products and showcases the beautiful Spa, to see it click here...

The Divine Oil is a dry oil that moisturises, nourishes and enhances skin, some of the ingredients are grape seed polyphenols, grape oils, hibiscus, sesame and argan... The fragrance is luxurious, I love smelling it on my skin, a decadent velvety warm floral scent with woody notes, giving your skin almost a sun-kissed beautiful fragrance... The Crushed Cabarnet Scrub is also quite a special product, with crushed grape seed, brown sugar, grape oil and lemongrass essential oils... It has a very pungent invigorating scent, which must be coming from the lemongrass and Cabarnet grapes... This scrub is great for deeply exfoliating your skin leaving it super smooth and kick starting the circulation... It is also combined with slimming action, containing six organic anti-cellulite and draining essential oils!

And also you get a mini scented candle, which smells again divine, sensual and warm, it's the type of scent that relaxes you... This whole gift set is all about making you feel amazing, whilst your skin is pampered with the goodness and your mind is penetrated with the fabulous fragrance of the products... It's a great way to get introduced to some of their best-sellers, personally I always wanted to try the Crushed Cabarnet Scrub ever since watching Ruth's vid... And now I can... Right, I cannot wait any longer, time to pumper myself!

PS: It was divine!

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Paul & Joe 2012 Holiday Creation!

It's rather late but it's been a very long day with an infuriating evening - not going into that, keeping this blog post positive(!)... But I decided before I can finally run a much needed relaxing bath and burn some decadent candles I should share something that brings my spirit up, something beautiful! This Paul & Joe Make Up Collection 2012 gift set [from the Limited Edition 2012 Holiday Creation] is it! I am a total sucker for beautiful make-up bags and look at this one, a satin clutch pouch with a lilac unicorn on one side and purple flowers along the other side, very magical, very Winter Wonderland-like, and kind of vintage... It just looks stunning... Comes in a pretty box too... Beautiful things always make me feel happy, they just do... 

This make-up pouch comes with a Creamy Cheek Powder and Face Powder... This Make Up Collection 2012 gift set comes in two shades, this one is the 001 Frozen Lilac shade, which is a cool tone... The Creamy Cheek Powder is a plummy shade with silver snow flakes sitting on top, when you swirl your finger you blend it into the cheek product, which gives it a bit of a shimmer, very flattering blush shade for this time of the year... Also I love the texture, it goes from cream to powder, very smooth and stays where you apply it, even great for those of us with oily skin types! And of course Face Powder is the beauty classic when it comes to parties or events, great for touching up, I believe the Face Powder is the same shade in both  Make Up Collections... Anyways that's my gift idea for today, before I start seeing real unicorns I better get some rest!

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Elemis Energising Treasure Gift Set!

OK, I was going to start featuring my favourite gift sets in a weeks time but I cannot resist any longer! I will start with this beautiful Elemis Energising Treasure Face and Bodycare gift box... It comes in a very festive red box, inspired by the royal icons of our time, very patriotic! This might be embarrassing, but I have to admit I though Elemis was a French brand, it is British in fact, shh!! I always associated good skincare with French brands, so no wonder... Recently I got into Elemis skincare discovering a couple of amazing products, including the Papaya Enzyme Peel... I really love their scientific approach to skincare, the ingredients they use, the scents of their products, and the packaging is always sleek and stylish... 

This gift set is perfect for getting to know some of their great products... This set includes two skincare products: Maximum Moisture Day Cream and Maximum Replenish Night Cream with adaptive technology that adjusts to the skin's individual needs - sounds very intriguing, I am excited to try it out, will keep you updated... Also including two bodycare products: Hand and Body Wash and Hand and Body Lotion with Lime and Ginger scent... I have tried the lotion already, it's really moisturising and sinks right into your skin not leaving any residue, making the skin feel incredibly smooth... I absolutely love the Lime and Ginger scent, it really picks you up, a perfect energising wintery scent... The scent reminds me on my best spa treatments, very luxurious and elegant, it has that masculine sexy hint, which I just adore!

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Festive Sparkles with Butter London Lips & Tips!

Wearing my Beast necklace... 
I can throw on any old top with it, the Beast just transforms any casual outfit into something chic and eclectic... 
Designed, made, worn and  loved by moi... 
The initial inspiration came from Japanese cartoon monsters and cats, scary... Ha ha!

Butter London Rosie Lee...

Festive nail look: OPI Russian Navy and Butter London Rosie Lee on accent nails...

Perfect glittering duo gift set - matching nail polish and lipgloss in the shade Rosie Lee...
Available at Harvey Nichols and www.butterlondon.com

Butter London has great little gift sets this year for Christmas! I particularly love this matching Lips & Tips combo in Rosie Lee, a pinky/plummy shade... The nail polishes from the Christmas 2012 Collection are inspired by jewelled collars, sequins, metallic embellishments and all things sparkly seen at Fashion Week... The Rosie Lee nail polish is a beautiful glitter with a clear base so it's perfect for using on top of any of your nail polishes... I love it on the accent nails as you can see in the images... It is always hard to capture glitters as they are so reflective, but these look a lot more sparkly in real life... They literally look like pink diamonds sprinkled over the nails, absolutely beautiful... A little tip, always finish your nails with a top coat for extra shine and to make the glitter sparkle to the max...

The nail look I went for is an intense dark blue with duo chrome fuchsia shimmer, which makes it look violet [OPI Russian Navy is one of my favourite shades for winter] with the Butter London Rosie Lee on the accent nails... This combo looks incredibly chic and festive! In the images I am also wearing the lipgloss, it doesn't have any harsh glitters in it, nonetheless it is also very sparkly and shiny! I love the shade it's a plummy pink packed with multicolour shimmer... When it's on it look like a flush of wintery pink, very flattering! Oh and the scent is amazing, it smells of strawberries and cream, delicious...

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Festive Shimmery Eye Look with a Bright Orange Lip!

When it comes to deciding what festive make-up look you might be wearing shimmers & sparkles is naturally the first thing that comes to mind! I always associate shimmers with celebration and fun time - Christmas parties are made for a bit of sparkle... There are lots and lots of glittery and shimmery pigments and eyeshadows out there, so there is lots to chose from... Personally, I love a bit of sparkle generally during the festive season, but I like to keep it chic nonetheless... 

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadows are fantastic for exactly that! They are iridescent and luminous cream eyeshadows with a light mouse-like texture, which are packed with gold, bronze and platinum reflecting particles... Very glamorous and decadent! I decided to go for a burgundy shimmery eye and bright orange lip, as I find they work beautifully together making a fabulous statement yet looking modern and fresh... The shade I have used is the 86 Ebloui, a beautiful burgundy with cranberry undertones... 

I kept this look as simple as possible, which Chanel Illusion D'Ombre is just perfect for... From all the cream eyeshadows I have ever tried I find this one is the easiest to work with... These eyeshadows come with a foldable little brush, which is pretty good quality and that's what I always use with it... You can also use a kohl pencil just in the waterline to made the look a little more dramatic... And as for the lip I didn't use any lipliners, just applied MAC Morange straight from the bullet... It's a recent addition to my MAC lipstick collection and I love it! It's an Amplified finish, which basically means it's creamy, shiny, and jam packed with colour! Morange is a super bright, almost glowing orange, incredibly flattering on most skin tones!

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Burt's Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals...

I decided to include this jar of bath crystals in my Gift Guide because I think it's the perfect little gift for this time of the year to give to yourself! It doesn't look too fancy or come in a pretty box but it's great for a nice hot bath to clear your senses after a cold crispy day... It is pretty chilly in London now, and the other day I came home, run a bath, sprinkled a bit of the Burt's Bees Therapeutic Bath Crystals [you only need like a tablespoon per bath] and relaxed... It's really nice when you have a bit of a cold or generally just want something pungent and mind clearing... 

The salts are strongly scented with the Eucalyptus oil, hence it's great for clearing your senses... Apart from sea salt  and eucalyptus leaf oil, it also has lemon peel oil and rosemary leaf oil, which is great for helping to clear headaches as well... So it's a generally a feel-better kind of bath soak, perfect for cold wintery nights! It is 100% natural and sea salt obviously being the main ingredient it may make your skin feel a little tighter or sensitive, so I'd recommend to apply a generous amount of a moisturising body lotion straight after getting out of the bath...

LOVE

Gift Guide 2012: Soft Waves Step by Step...

The end result: soft waves...

Step One: curl all sections of you hair and bobby pin them into place, spray them with a bit of hairspray...

Step Two: minutes later after the hair cools down take the bobby pins out...

Step Three: finally go through your hair with fingers to soften the waves and finish off with hairspray!

Things you will need: hairspray, bobby pins, heat defence spray [which I forgot to include]...

The hairspray of my choice is Percy & Reed Reassuring Firm Session Hold Hairspray!

Great for a natural hold, leaves the hair still feeling soft and beautiful to touch...

And of course you'll need a curling wand!

This is the BaByliss Boutique Soft Waves Professional 210C styler...

...comes with 5 digital temperature settings...

...including heat mat and glove...

Personally I think soft waves look is the most flattering hair style a girl could go for... And since Christmas is slowly coming closer and closer, I can literally feel the anticipation bubbling up, it's about time to start thinking about your hair, and how to make it look beautiful... I thought to share a few tips how to create a  relaxed beautiful wave, that doesn't look like you were trying to hard... It really is simple! All you need is a curling wand with a wide barrel, bobby pins, heat defence spray and hairspray!

The curling wand of my choice is the BaByliss Boutique Soft Waves Professional 210C styler... I like it because the barrel is 34mm so it's not thin, the wider barrels are great for that relaxed soft wave... Also it's a ceramic barrel, which is good for making your waves more shiny... It doesn't have a clamp, which is perfect for smooth waves as it won't create any kinks! This curling wand comes with a heat resistant glove so that you obviously don't burn your fingertips, a heat mat that you can rest the hot barrel on to prevent damaging any surface... And it has 5 digital temperature settings - 165C, 180C, 195C and 210C, I like to curl my hair with 180C, holding it for something like 10-15 seconds...

Before I start curling my hair I always spray a heat defence spray, which I forgot to include when taking the picture, but in case you want to know I used the Lee Stafford Arganoil from Morocco Miracle Heat Defence Spray, which is great for giving you that extra bit of shine... Then I do the curling, always curling away from my face, I gently let the hair slide off the barrel onto my palm holding it for a second before I pin it with the bobby pin, and that will help you to make the waves last longer! Then after I finish with the last section of hair I let it cool down for couple of minutes before going over with hairspray, I like Percy & Reed Reassuring Firm Session Hold Hairspray because it gives that very natural hold, it doesn't make the hair springy yet it keeps the shape... 

Once I am ready to get the bobby pins out I go through the hair with my fingers to get it into the shape I want and to soften the waves... Then I finish off again with a few sprays of the hairspray... Keep in mind that in the pictures the hair still has quite a defined wave, it does relax a little more after a while, and looks even more natural... I love wearing this hair, there is something about it that makes me feel happy... And you know the rule, when you feel happy you look great!

LOVE