What I got for Christmas

Miss Selfridge Bag

Hello all, Christmas came and went before I even had time to acknowledge it. Unfortunately, this seems to happen every year, time moves too fast! I see many bloggers doing the 'What I Got for Christmas' posts but I feel that I need to explain my reasons for doing it. Firstly, this is in no way a bragging fest where I show off what I've had, that is not the intention behind this post. I'm simply sharing the items I love from the people I love. I always enjoy these posts from other people and it's a nice way to share the presents and stories you've had from Christmas. So, after that rather long winded introduction.

One of my sisters brought me this beautiful Miss Selfridge bag and I LOVE it. My current 'Every Day bag' (which was featured in my 'What's in my bag' post) has been sporting seriously worn handles for a while now. I was actually planning on picking a new bag up with Christmas money, but this one is perfect and exactly the sort of thing I would have picked up for myself.

New Look Snakeskin clutch

This clutch bag was one I had asked for from Santa ;) and was lucky enough to unwrap it on Christmas morning. I had also asked my lovely boyfriend (he was seriously stuck for gifts)  for a pair of lovely 'Laura' heels from Garage shoes that exactly matched. He did in fact purchase them and we we're so disappointed to discover that the heel lengths were completely different. Had I not noticed and worn them, the difference was so severe that they might have genuinely caused problems. Not ok. Needless to say they have been promptly contacted, not friends with Garage shoes at the moment! Anyway, the clutch itself is so beautiful and one that I think will smarten up any outfit. I think it's love. 

Studded biker boots

These beauties were a complete surprise and I absolutely adore them. My footwear collection before Christmas was poor at best and was going to end in me walking around bare foot (okay, slight over exaggeration). These have buckles, studs and are leather, literally a perfect combination. I have been wearing them with leggins and a jumper for a really laid back everyday outfit. 

 

Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case

 

Urban decay are the kings of eyeshadow in my opinion so when I unwrapped this, I nearly cried. It has everything you could need, five beautiful eyeshadows, two bright blushers, one highlighter, lip crayon in red and the famous 24-7 glide on eye pencil. The eyeshadows/blushers are lovely quality and really pigmented. My favourite feature of this palate though has to be the shimmer, it's a beautiful gold and subtle when worn on the cheeks and eyebrows. I haven't worn the crayon out yet, though it's only a matter of time. Again, it's love. 

Christina Aguilera By Night Perfume

My all time favourite perfume has to be this one. I can't explain how it smells because my descriptive skills really aren't that good. That being said, trust me when I say that it is beautiful. The last thing I do when I have gotten ready in the morning is add a spritz of perfume to my clothes. It's the finishing touch that really makes me feel nice!

  Beyonce Heat, Estee Lauder Pleasures and Ghost Anticipation perfumes.

I received lots of perfume this Christmas and I was chuffed! The Estee Lauder perfume was one I smelt months and months ago and thought it was beautiful. My other sister had a great memory and had picked it up for me so was a lovely surprise to open! Beyonce heat is not one I had smelt before but I love it, it's really fruity and sweet. Ghost perfumes are consistently gorgeous and this one is no exception. My boyfriends parents brought this for me and I love it. Now I have the difficult decision of deciding which lovely bottle I'll wear each morning!

Urban Decay all nigher makeup setting spray

I will be doing a full review on this shortly so won't say too much but I absolutely adore this product. I chose this whilst out shopping to receive off my boyfriends brother as he said he had no idea what to buy me. I have tried this before and refreshingly, it does what it says on the tin. 

 

 Kitsound Portable Speaker in Frog

This was a stocking filler and I have already worn out the batteries on this little fella (whom I aptly named Freddie) It connects into the earphone jack on your phone and plays the music through the speaker. For something so little, you would be surprised how much sound they throw out. My sisters received a bumblebee and a penguin and I hear they come in all different types. A great little gift to give someone. 

I also recieved a beautiful leather-look jacket from new look, clothes and lots of other little goodies. I haven't shown everything as some I will be doing full reviews on soon. I hope you have all enjoyed as Christmas as much as I have. Although this post is all about presents, the thing that makes Christmas is always the people. I'm always reminded around this time of year what lovely family, boyfriend and friends I have. For which, I'm so thankful, I love you all!

Christmas// Merry Christmas to you

 

 

 

Images: Google Image search of 'Christmas Tree', 'Wrapped Christmas Presents' and 'Christmas Hot Chocolate'

Good afternoon all! Ever the obvious but... it's Christmas Eve! I feel like I have been looking forwards to Christmas all year and I've blinked and the last couple of weeks have flown by! I am obsessed with everything Christmas and I am so excited for tomorrow; unwrapping presents, Giving gifts and eating (lots) of lovely food! I am worse than a child, I'm far too excited for a 21 year old! I thought it only fitting that the last post before Christmas was Christmas in nature.

So yesterday I braved the cold and helped the 'brother in law' do his Christmas shopping by choosing out a present for myself. I decided on the trusty old  Urban Decay all-nighter spray (I will do a review soon) to replace my bottle that has ran out. Luckily, I hadn't left my Christmas shopping that late as I find it can really ruin the spirit for me if I'm stressing about gifts. A couple of weeks ago I was sat in front of the fire, hot chocolate in hand, surrounded by mounds of wrapping paper and bows. Not to big myself up too much, but I am quite a good 'wrapper' (I had a good teacher in my mother!) so I enjoy the process of wrapping gifts and making them look as beautiful as possible! My mother has outdone even herself this year by attaching battery operated Christmas lights to a present box so it glitters, it looks amazing!

 

To wrap my presents this year I headed to Matalan of all places for this beautiful White and Silver snowflake wrapping paper. As part of the set they sold a pack of glittery silver tags, bows and ribbons. I needed a decent amount as I've gone overboard this year. I get so carried away when buying presents, I just can't stop myself. Sometimes, even when I can't afford it, oopsie! Christmas is the prefect excuse to treat the people you love, after all that's what it's all about.

So, presents are wrapped, fire is on and A wonderful life is on TV. I'm sat in my onesie with a hot chocolate taking it all in. My plans for later include some of my family and relatives popping down to a pub for a few Christmas drinks. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas eve and of course, Christmas day!

NOTN// Festive Fingers

Afternoon all! Just a short blog post from me today (I hear you all breathing a sigh of relief!) I think all of us want to embrace the festive spirit in any way we can. Most common methods are wearing of festive jumpers and doing up the nails, Christmas style.  For this look I decided upon red, glittery nails as it's the most festive mix I could think of. To create the look I used 'Urban purple' with the Barry M glittery polish shown above layered on top. Ta daa, the completed festive look! I now have my eyes on the limited edition glittery pink/gold from Maybelline colour show, gorgeous!

As promised, short post!

Tag// Blogging Love

 

Image: favim.com 

Evening beauties! I'm back with another tag I saw over on Couture Girl's blog (Her post can be found here), one I thought I'd especially enjoy as it's all about blogging! So the idea behind this tag is for bloggers to talk about why they love blogging, and hopefully inspire others to blog. To do this post you have to list five reasons you like blogging, your aim of blogging, top blogging tip and any bloggers who have inspired you along the way. So without further adieu.

 

1. Freedom: One of my favourite things about blogging is the freedom to write exactly what you want. It's not often you are able to say exactly what is on your mind. For a makeup addict like me, it's usually no more than a few rambles about this or that product, i've convinced myself I need. However, some people can use this opportunity to talk about really critical topics which can really help readers going through the same thing.

2. Space: In Couture Girl's post, she mentioned 'space' and it really made sense to me. It refers to the idea that a blog is a way to make a stamp on the world wide web. A small way to own a little and make it your own. It struck me as a really lovely idea and one I thought to share.


3. Bloggers: The main reason I began blogging in the first place is because of other bloggers.  I often rant to my family about different beauty products and they humor me but it isn't really something they are interested in. The blogging community is full of like-minded girls and boys that are interested in the same things.

4. Pride: This point probably sounds a little strange but allow me to explain. Blogging has given me a sense of pride over what I've achieved. A blog may not seem like much of an achievement to some, and perhaps they're right, but when I've finished a blog post there's no denying feeling a little proud.


5.Growth: Again, how silly does this sound. But nonetheless, I do feel that blogging had helped me in more ways than one. Firstly, a good knowledge of products and beauty is essential to making a girl feel good and secondly, I feel genuine enjoyment over having an ongoing blog.

Blogging Tip
Regardless of the topic, your blog will have a common audience. It doesn't matter what the topic is, provided it's how you feel or something you are passionate about, it's worth blogging about. If not a soul reads your blog, you can still take away the enjoyment you get from writing. I know it's like therapy to me, plus it stops me nattering the ears off my family. So my blogging tip is always write about everything and anything that intrests you because even if no one else reads, it's enjoyable for you.

Blogging Inspiration
Not only is she the creator of this tag, but also the reason I started blogging. Kayleigh Johnson from Couture Girl runs a lovely little blog, one I always make time to read. She is a perfect example of a like minded individual, even down to what she wears.

So, when all is said and done, you can gather that I love blogging. Hope you enjoyed my natterings and if you decide to do this post, link it below and I'll have a read. P.s how gorgeous are these images from favin.com, take a look they have some lovely pictures.

OOTN// Arabian Nights Fancy dress

Arabian Nights Fancy Dress

Dress, Cafe Society £7.99

Necklace, Matalan £10

Earrings, Matalan, £2.50

Bangles, Matalan, £3.00

Flip Flops, Primark, £6

Clutch,  Primark, £3

 

Around this time of year, many of my friends have birthdays. This year, majiority of them are turning the big 21 (including myself) which requires something extra special for celebrations. So, I've found myself running here, there and everywhere trying to find bits and bobs to wear for various costumes. My favourite of all the themes was that of 'Arabian Nights'. It's the ideal fancy dress theme as it's easy, you don't walk out the house feeling like an idiot and best of all, it can be cost effective. 

My originial plan was to dress up as Princess Jasmine as I've been looking for a good excuse for a while. I had even purchased some hareem trousers in blue and a top I was going to customize. Though, due to delivery issues (I'm looking at you boohoo) the costume was non-extistant and I had to go back to the drawing board. 

I found this dress and absolutely fell in love with it. Cafe society is a little clothes store in Aberyswyth that is really reasonably priced and has some lovely pieces. I don't own many dresses that are quite this bright so when I saw it, it literally jumped out at me. I knew it would go fantastic with loads of gold jewelery which I had already brought a great deal of. The flip flops, necklace and clutch were items I already owned and thought they would go perfectly. As for the gold material draped over my shoulder, it was just some my mother had spare from some of her other sewing projects. 

The thing I loved most of all about this theme was the makeup. Youtube is absolutely flooded with amazing tutorials on how to do the classic Arabian 'cat eye' style makeup. To finish of the look, Claires accessories sell bindis and body gems, both of which can be purchased for under £5. I put one eye gem on the inside corner of my eye and at the end of each 'cat eye' flick. Unfortunately, the only photo I have which shows a close up of my makeup is the 'duck-face' image above, so please feel free to ignore my expression!

Overall, I absolutely loved this look and the girls accompanying me had fantastic costumes and all looked beautiful. The night was one of the most enjoyable I'd had in a long time. So, if you ever need fancy dress theme ideas, look no further!

Are there any fancy dress costumes you love? Leave your costumes ideas in the comments below, I always love to hear from you. 

Review// Sleek Face Form and Contouring & Blush Palatte

Hello all. I've been doing my usual and buying products I shouldn't. However, I have been seeing this product on blogs everywhere and just couldn't resist the temptation. In my Christmas list contenders post I mentioned the Sleek Face Form and Contouring/ Blush Palatte and how much I wanted it. I had seriously high hopes and thankfully, I haven't been disapointed.

So as I have never owned anything like this before, I was a little unsure as to how well I would take to the application. However, it's really simple. You apply the dark contouring brown shade under the cheekbones (Apply standard duck face here), then add the rose coloured blush on the cheekbones and finally the shimmer just above. It gives a contoured and lightly highlighted look to the cheeks. I absolutely love it and will be using it everyday. There's always the option to add your own blusher if there is a particular eye makeup look that needs a specific shade. I know I often gush about products but with this it really is a fantastic product.

As for price, £9.99 for a product of this quality is hardly high. For a student however, it is a little expensive for a spontaneous purchase. So, it's just as well that I had £1 already racked up on my superdrug beauty card (From my other many spontaneous purchases no doubt) so I only paid £8.99 which made me feel a little less guilty. Packaging is usually not a real issue with me, I prefer to have a better product than fancy packaging. However, I like to give credit where credit is due and when a product, like this one, has both the looks and the quality, it's a winner for me. The packaging follows the name and is uber sleek, though if you're anything like me, it wont stay this way for long. Mine is now covered in fingerprint marks and smudges. But, i'm really not all that bothered by this.
 

Now I have tried this, I will not only be ensuring it is a permanent resident in my future makeup bags, but I'll be checking out other sleek products too. So that's all from me, I'm snuggled up in my fluffy PJ's ready to watch 'Made in Chelsea' so I'm off. Thanks as always for reading and much love,

What to buy your Boyfriend this Christmas

So I think every girl who has a boyfriend (or a brother etc) has had difficulty buying the boy in question Christmas gifts. My boyfriends birthday is in October, so I have to think up two lots of gifts within a short period of time so I can definitely say I have drawn up blank once or twice. On some occasions, inspirations have come to me and so far, I've always been pleased with what I have brought. I do see many bloggers doing these posts and they do give great gift ideas, not just for the boyfriends. Brothers, Dads and boys who are just friends count too!

1. World War Z DVD £10.00
This film is fantastic, and I don't usually like zombie themed films. That being said, I think most boys will like it, although it does depend on their taste of course. It's currently in stock in all good DVD selling retailers (I recommend Amazon as it comes with free delivery here) and is a good stocking filler to bring up the numbers.

2. Family Guy 'Victory Will Be Mine' Boxers, Matalan, £6.00
I really think boxers are a no brainer and even though they can be a cheesy, go to present for pretty much anyone, you can make sure you're getting something a bit different like these family guy themed ones. Matalan have a great range, good quality and very reasonable in terms of price. Again, a great stocking filler.

3. Budweiser multipack, Price varies
If the boy you're buying for is a student, while you probably wont be helping their livers, you will be helping their wallets. Alcohol is one of those things that I hate paying for (I do of course) but it pains me to spend £12 on a bottle of wine when I know it could be spent on things like makeup (typical girl). That's why things like these make such good present as you know, providing they like the alcohol you buy them, it will always be used and appreciated.

4. Burgundy & Navy Hooded Bomber Jacket, Burton, £45.00
Now I understand that clothes are a very personal thing but I've included this as it's what I have brought for my boyfriend this Christmas and I think Burton have a great selection to check out. Don't worry, I haven't spoilt the surprise as he already knows about this because I made him try it on. If you think this is something your boyfriend will like, you can find it on the Burton website here, although when I purchased it, it had been reduced to £40 in store.

5. Now you see me DVD, £9.99
This is one of the many films to come out this year and is actually fantastic, hence why it's here. It's also a it's a film you can watch with your significant other that you'll also enjoy. Win Win. For only £9.99 and with free delivery (From Amazon, here) there really isn't any reason not to buy it.

6. Burgundy 'Easy Tipped' Polo shirt, Matalan, £12.00
Matalan have really been pulling out the stops as far as men's clothes are concerned. They have a really nice collection of jumpers that have the 'on trend' aztec and Christmas prints. For my boyfriends birthday, I purchased him a navy one with shoulder patterns (I'm not describing it very well but it really is nice) and he loved it and has been wearing it non stop. This is a plain polo that there isn't really anything to dislike so it's a good go to item if you know they have worn polos/burgundy before, plus its only £12.00 and can be found here.

7. 'Easy Printed' Polo Shirt, Matalan, £12.00
As with the polo shirt mentioned above, the same applies. It's good quality and doesn't cost you an arm and a leg like other shops might. This one I purchased has small burgundy diamonds on it. Again, I am really not advertising this well but it really is a lovely polo shirt to pop in their gift bag this Christmas. I would provide the link as the polo is on their website but currently isn't working so you may have to go in store if you think it's something you would like to buy.

So these are my current 'go to' gift purchases for boys! I hope they can give you some inspiration if you're stuck and most of all, remember that Christmas is about the people and the memories, not just the gifts! And with that cheesy line, I will bid you adieu'

Lots of Love,

Instagram Update

Hello all, my apologies that I haven't written any posts in a while! I have been so busy and to add to the stress not only do I have university work but my laptop has also decided to break. Stressful times!

Anywho, I have been rather cheeky and asked for a new laptop for my birthday. Which is coming up on the 18th of December where i'll be turning the big 21! As to whether i'll actually get a laptop, it's simply a case of crossing my fingers! To combat the lack of writing equipment, one of my fellow bloggers alerted me to the Blogger mobile app. So, please excuse my posts looking a little different as I'm still learning how it works.
So as far as this post goes, I thought i'd try something a little different. A lot of my favourite bloggers do 'instagram update' posts where they post their most recent instagram photos and talk about what has been going on in their lives. I always love posts like these as It lets you get to know the blogger on a more personal level. So here is my attempt / ramblings.

This month has already been hectic and we're only 5 days in! The Christmas decorations in my room have gone up and my advent calendar is being raided in the usual fashion. Overall despite being very busy, I'm really happy. I think there is just something about December that just brings out the best in people and makes people come together in the Christmas spirit. Cheesy I know. I also have a lot of my friends birthdays this month and so I always get excited as to what to wear and going to the events they plan. I've recently dressed up in arabian fancy dress for one night out (OOTN post coming soon), had another friends birthday night out Tuesday of this week and I have shared birthday celebrations planned with a close friend this weekend. Busy bee indeed! I've also got a mexican themed house party when I leave uni accomodation for Christmas and also my own birthday celebrations with my family and friends from home. Overall, very excited to get stuck in with the celebrations!

I would say that usually around this time I'm really stressed over the buying of Christmas presents. This is usually made worse by money concerns towards the end of term and the work I have to do for university. So this year in early November I told myself I would not let myself get stressed this time round and be in a situation where I am just getting in the christmas spirit. And, low and behold, I have finished all my Christmas shopping and only have one essay left to hand in. Actually rather proud of myself for once. I'm also so looking forwards to being home and catching up with all my relatives and friends who I really miss while I'm away.

Well, despite the fiddly phone keyboard, I've still managed to ramble on and write an essay. Hope you enjoyed and as always I love hearing from you.

Lots of love,

Review// Loreal Studio Silk&Gloss Hot Straight Cream

 

Hello all! So once again it's review time! This time around it's one of my all time favorite products, the Loreal Studio Silk & Gloss hot straight cream. I first heard about it back when I was in college (yes, I have used it for that long!) from one of my friends. Her hair always was in such lovely condition so when she suggested I try it, I decided to grab a bottle. It is designed to protect hair from heated hair styling products while maintaining healthy condition. For once, I can say that a product does what it says on the tin.

You can apply this to your hair wet or dry before styling. For me personally, I prefer to put it in while my hair is damp and then hair dry it straight. I do section by section and then comb through and I've found this makes your hair super soft and silky. As for putting in the product dry, I don't do it too often but I would say it can make the hair feel a little greasy so I tend not to. As for how well it protects the hair, during periods when I was straightening my hair everyday, a hairdresser commented on how good the condition was and was amazed that I had used GHD's on it everyday. So I would go as far to say that the protection you get from it is rather good.

A big plus, but not necessarily an essential quality, is the smell. Some heat protect products I've used in the past have not smelt all that nice, if anything a really chemical smell. With this, it literally smells amazing and the smell stays in your hair. Having nice scented locks is just another perk that makes me feel feminine. As for price, from bodycare it's just £2.99 and it lasts ages. Other than how it works on dry hair, which isn't bad, the product is flawless. I haven't even bothered looking at other heat protect products for straightening as I can't see another highstreet product beating it. 

My last comment is that because this works so well at keeping your hair straight, you can't curl your hair with it in. They look amazing but fall out within an hour because the hair is just too silky. That doesn't bother me too much as I don't often curl pre-straightened hair because I don't really see the point. There's always heat protect products that I use especially for curled hair anyway. Well that's it for me blabbering on. I hope you've enjoyed reading.

Lots of love,

Laura.

Wish List// Christmas list contenders

CHRISTMAS LIST CONTENDERS

So I think it's safe to say that all of us have a lust list for this Christmas. When my mom asked me what I wanted I wasted no time sending her a list of clothes I am in LOVE with. But clothes is really just the beginning and so here are the rest of my Christmas list contenders.

Elf 50 Piece palate £15.99
I already have so many palates but none that include ten blushers. The blushers range from really light pink, corals and then to bronze browns. There's also 40 eyeshadow colours which have literally every colour in. Elf products are always of a high quality and so I trust the quality to be amazing.

Elf Concealer kit in light £3.25
Again, Elf products are fantastic and I think this will be no exception. This little kit provides various concealers to counteract different problems. I believe there is one to cover dark circles, one to cover redness, one for blemishes and one to highlight. As of yet I haven't found a concealer that really works so it will be interesting to see how well these work.

Sleek face Contour kit £9.99
This kit has been all over blogs recently and has received nothing but good reviews. It comes with a shimmer, contouring bronzer and a coloured blush. There are different variations of this palate for different skin tones but the light seems the best to me. Other bloggers have said you put the bronzer under your cheeks, blush just above and the shimmer on the top of the cheekbones to create a really contoured effect.

Loreal Colour Privee lipstick in Cheryl £8.99
I already own (and have done a blog post) about the Eva version of this lipstick and I love it. I wear it everyday. Usually when I'm wearing lipstick in the colder weather my lips dry out. I haven't had any of this with these products. The Cheryl colour is only slightly lighter but looks lovely none the less. 

Christina Aguilera By Night Perfume £19.95
This perfume is my all time favourite scent. I'm currently wearing Lady Million in the day (courtesy of my lovely boyfriend, thank you!) and this is the perfect evening perfume. I have currently ran out as I practically wash in the stuff but have begged all of my family for a bottle. If you haven't tried it I seriously recommed you do. I know perfume is quite a personal thing but everyone who smells it ends up loving it.

Fingers crossed you all get what you've asked santa for this Christmas. But if not, remember that the main thing is that your loved ones are healthy and happy! As always lots of love,

How to de-stress over the Christmas period

 

Images from google image searches of 'yoga', 'relax' and 'relaxing bath' and not my own.

How to de-stress over the Christmas period

I think that I am one of the worst people for being a worrier and a stress-head. Sometimes I'll be going about my business and one too many things can be on my plate at once and cause me stress. I have some reviews in the pipeline to reduce appearance of stress such as under eye bags and bad skin. It got me thinking, what is the point in having all of these fantastic products if you can't get to the root of the problem and solve it. Now by no means am I saying that this is what you should do and your stress should magically disappear. However, these are the things I do that help me reduce and sometimes remove my stress.  These are things that are cost effective (big plus for poor students) and things you can do in your own time. 

Take a long bath

Unfortunately, it has taken not having a bath in my new student accommodation to realise how much difference a bath makes. Whenever I'm visiting home, I take a million baths to help me chill out. I tend to buy a nice smelling bubble bath, light some candles (safely and away from anything flammable obviously, safety first!) and even put music on if it helps me chill out. Then, I get the water as hot as I am comfortable with and soak until I feel my worries melting away. Often when I get out, not only do I feel fantastic, but my skin feels better for it too. Two in one!

Do Yoga

My sister Sophia is a yoga fanatic and incorporates it into her everyday lifestyle (you can check out her surfing blog here.) I was a little reluctant to get into yoga because I always thought I needed to be super flexible in order to do it. It's the yoga itself that makes you flexible! You don't need some heavy, expensive yoga how to book or anything of the sort, just a reliable internet connection. I looked up on Youtube yoga 'How to' videos and was flooded with them. The yoga I do is the Sun salutation cycle. It's easy for novices and not really strenuous. However, when I'm done it is amazing how chilled out I feel from just ten minutes of low activity.

Listen to music 

I think this is a fairly obvious point to make but it really does help. Whenever I have the time, I stop everything, clean my bedroom and lie on my bed with just my music. I lie flat and play a playlist I have already made with relaxing music. One of the best songs to chill out to is Rob Thomas - Little Wonders. You can find the link here and I recommend you have a listen, the lyrics really help. Another song to chill you out is I see Fire by Ed Sheeran (Link here) If this song doesn't chill you out, nothing will. It's that good, I promise! Music is a very personal thing and everyone has their own taste so I say listen to anything that makes you relax. I listen to music on my bed until I feel chilled out and calmer. 

Make lists

In my 'What's in my bag' post I included my trusty day to day diary/planner. Without this, I would be a lot more stressed than I am. I can write in everything and anything I need to remember and plan how to make the best of my time. Time management is one of the most difficult things to do at university and also one of the most important. I also make use of the 'notes' section in the back to put anything from helpful song lyrics to tips on how to get stains out your dressing gown. Any tips at all that will make my life easier go in. The same sort of system can be put into calendars you hang up and even just plain paper you can put on the wall to jot things on. Anything that means you can get it out of your head is worth trying.

Keep a Diary

This may not be for everyone but for me it's essential. A diary is a truly personal possession and what you do with it is up to you. In mine, I write the things I feel I could never tell anyone, things I need to rant about and the things you need to say but don't really mean once you have calmed down. There is also a lot of artwork in my diary, some of it is highly symbolic of things that are going on in my life. Just to write/draw/paint in it is an activity that de-stresses you (is that the right phrase? Hmm, not sure). Even just doing artwork is quite a therapeutic activity that you might enjoy. It hasn't got to be a Picasso worthy painting, just something that helps you or is symbolic of your mood.

Well that is how I relieve stress and make a happier Laura. I hope over the Christmas period, when you're stressing over what to buy your boyfriends mom and your sister, you remember these tips and put some into action. Anything to make a happier you is something you should make time for in your day to day activities. 

As always, love and best wishes,

Review// Garnier Moisture Match Lotion

 

 So As mentioned in my 'Monthly Favourites' post I've been doing my usual and buying things I don't reallyyy need. This time in the form of Garniers new Moisture match lotions. I tried the Illuminating light lotion for normal skin. Usually, around £5.99 (in Wilkinsons) but was on sale for £3.00 which I couldn't resist.

The lotion promises to offer Tailored texture, formula and 24 hour hydration with an SPF of 20. My usual foundation doesn't contain SPF, so even though I do have an oily T zone, I decided to go for this one. On first appearances, there isn't really anything special about the packaging, just a simple box and then a squeeze tube for the lotion. I did notice that the box it comes in disguises how small the bottle is. To me, that is false advertising and just plain annoying.

The lotion is of a creamy texture, thin for light coverage and it smells amazing. The first time I used it my skin had a sort of shimmer. Though I haven't read it anywhere, I assume the product is supposed to be used early morning before you put on your makeup, so your face is protected by SPF. Under my everyday foundation (Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid in Sand) the slight shimmer came through and gave a dewy look to the skin. I found that after use, my foundation generally applied more evenly and had a better finish.

Generally, the price and the quality of the product were good. As mentioned earlier, I was a little annoyed over how deceptive the size of the box was. Also, if you rub your face with this product on, if it gets in your eyes it can be quite painful, not good! Overall, I probably will invest in another bottle again purely for the SPF.

As always, it's been a pleasure,