Christmas Wishlist - The Tartan Edition

So this season tartan is back with a bang and I couldn't be happier! Tartan is such a versatile pattern which can take a simple outfit, up a notch (plus, it's a great print to wear to get you in the festive spirit!).

So this week's wishlist is a showcase of my top 10 tartan picks from the highstreet, enjoy!

1.Crop Top - New Look £9.99 2.Scarf - Zara £19.99  3.Skirt - Topshop £42 4.Skater Dress - Asos £28 5.Dress - Topshop £36 6.Smock Dress - Topshop £35 7.Padlock Clutch - New Look £4 8.Shoulder Bag - Asos £55 9.Boots - Very £85 10.Duffle Coat - Zara £129

Magazine Freebie December 2013

When you purchase this month's Glamour magazine for only £2 (and trust me, you'd be a fool not to!) you will receive a free, full sized Kate Spade by Nails Inc nail polish worth £11.
There is a choice of 4 colours:

• Big Apple Red (Glossy Red)
• New York Noir (Glossy Black)
• Uptown Glamour (Metallic Gold)
• Soho Silver (Metallic Silver)

I was very restrained and only picked up Big Apple Red, but looking at the other shades, I know that this week will be spent hunting them down and praying they haven't sold out. Big Apple Red is a classic true red, a staple nail colour, especially during the festive party season.

And if this amazing freebie isn't enough to tempt you to purchase Glamour this month, then they are also throwing in a 'joy card' worth £3, £15 or £100 for The Body Shop (which is super handy to have in your purse during the gift giving period).

New York Noir

Which shades are you most excited about getting your hands on?

Gift Set Christmas Wishlist!

Halloween is over, signalling the start of the Christmas season (in my world anyway)!!! And what better way to kick it off than with the first of my Christmas wishlists. 

Wishlists are some of my favourite blogposts. They feed my daily online shopping need(!) plus during the gift giving period they can give much needed inspiration. So I hope you enjoy my Gift Set Wishlist and let me know what you've been lusting for this Christmas!

1.Urban Decay- The Mother Lode £445 here 2.Katy Perry Killer Queen 30ml Gift Set £22.50 here 3.Real Techniques Duo Fibre Set £23.99 here 4.Burt's Bees Head to Toes Kit £14.99 here 5.Benefit Little Love Potions £29.50 here 6.Philosophy The Cookie Exchange Set £22 here 7.China Glaze Touch of Twinkle £14.99 here

The Lip Crayon Face Off

With so many different lip crayons on the market these days (almost every high street brand has their own version of the chubby stick), its hard to choose between them, (especially if you're like me and can only make decisions with the aid of Ip Dip Doo, I know, it's embarrassing). So I decided to put my own collection to the test and see which came out on top.

First off, the original lip crayon...

Clininque Chubby Stick - £17 here
What Clinique say: a moisturizing lip colour balm.

06-Woppin' Watermelon

06-Woppin' Watermelon Swatch

Pros

• Not drying on the lips
• Doesn't cling to dry parts
• Has a glossy finish

Cons

• Very little pigmentation
• Lasts a couple of hours max
• The Price! It's now increased to £17, honestly I don't think it's worth it for, what is essentially, a tinted lip balm

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - £7.99 here
What Revlon say: a pampering balm fused with a lightweight lipstain in an adorable chubby crayon.

001 Honey

001 Honey Swatch

Pros

• Pigmentation is good
• Nice minty scent (although, I guess for some this would be a con)
• Colour last about 4-5 hours on me, which is decent for a tinted balm.

Cons

• Colour doesn't apply evenly, clings to dry patches
• Very drying on the lips
• The glossy finish disappears very quickly

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon - £7.99 here
What Bourjois say: With its melting formula, Color Boost leaves a radiant veil of colour on the lips with just enough shine and moisture to enhance each shade.

(L-R) 01 Red Sunrise, 02 Fuchsia Libre, 04 Peach on the Beach

(top to bottom) 01 Red Sunrise, 02 Fuchsia Libre, 04 Peach on the Beach Swatches

Pros

• Amazing pigmentation
• Very moisturizing
• Feels comfortable and lightweight on the lips 
• Glossy finish
• Beautiful shades
• Long wearing
• Colour fades evenly
• After gloss is gone, lips are stained
• Contains SPF 15

Cons

• My only issue is the limited shade range

Rimmel Colour Rush Balm - £5.99 here
What Rimmel say: a long lasting intense colour balm.

710 Drive Me Nude

710 Drive Me Nude Swatch

 Pros

• Decent pigmentation
• Feels comfortable on the lips
• Beautiful natural shade range, which I haven't seen from any other brand
• Vanilla scent(reminds me of mini eggs)

Cons

• Only lasts 2-3 hours on the lips
• Doesn't have a very glossy finish

Overall my favourite lip crayons are the Bourjois Colour Boost (particularly Red Sunrise), I only wish that they would expand their shade range.

What are your favourite lip crayons? Do you have any recommendations from other brands for me to try?

Small Beauty Haul!

Last week I made a sneaky purchase from Superdrug's website, while they were offering free shipping (it would be rude not to, right?). This is what I picked up...

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush-Sandy Sun/Drive Me Nude? £5.99
(I'm not entirely sure what the shade name of this is. On the Boots website, and the product itself, it's called Drive Me Nude, but the Superdrug website are calling it Sandy Sun?)

Anyway, as I haven't seen many blog posts about these new lip crayons yet, I limited myself to one shade (it was so hard to choose, I was stuck between 4). In the end I settled on Drive Me Nude, which is a beautiful pinky nude, a great every day shade.

First Impressions:

• Not drying at all on the lips like some other lip crayons (Revlon JBKBS, I'm looking at you!)

• Not Sticky

•  Gorgeous range of natural colours

•  Decently pigmented

•  Delicious vanilla scent (think MAC lipsticks)

Rimmel Scandaleyes Thick & Thin Liner £5.49
I have been looking for a felt tip liner for a while now and, as Superdrug had a buy 1 get the 2nd half price offer going on, I thought I would give Rimmel's version a whirl.

First Impressions:

•  Good pigmentation

•  Doesn't pull at the eyelid

• Easy to use

Samples

Superdrug had put a couple of samples in my parcel (I do love surprises). The first, which I have already fallen head over heels for, is the new Katy Perry fragrance, Killer Queen. It smells so fruity and warm, my Purr-fect autumnal scent (see what I did there? No? OK). Seeing as I've nearly finished my Marc Jacobs perfume, I have the perfect excuse for a new scent.

The other sample is from a brand I've never heard of, This One. It's a hair repair treatment, which I desperately need right now. I don't know why but my hair hates me at the moment (the feeling's mutual), so at the weekend there will be a serious pamper session going on and I will put this little purple sachet to the test. At this stage it might take a miracle!