Christmas beauty favourites!!

So as promised in my last post, here is my Christmas beauty favourites! All the products you'll read about below are all gifts from my wonderful friends and family. I would like to disclaim that I'm in no way trying to show off or brag about what I was given. Trust me, I feel so spoilt and privileged to receive such wonderful things from some equally wonderful people. I honestly could not ask for better people in my life right now as they make me so content with my life.
So I shall begin with the make up side of things, enjoy!

Make up:
First up I was given this Bourjois blush in the shade "48 cendre de rose brune". You may have seen this on one of my Christmas wish lists and apparently so did my Mum. I've wanted this shade blush for so long and I was inspired to want it from this Youtube video by Essie button, in which she talks about Bourjois as a brand focus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ou4ppsHpc

However finding out this blush was the first shade ever produced by the company just made me need it in a sense, I felt as though it was a piece of beauty history and I just HAD to have it and after receiving it I have just fallen so hard for it. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous, I just love the classic appearance to it, yet it still maintains that iconic pink and gold that Bourjois seem to swear by. I must have used this daily since getting it as the formulation for it is just beautiful. It is such a highly pigmented blush that contains tiny bits of shimmer in, brightening up the eyes and skin whilst looking natural and very well suited to my skin tone. What I was really happy with is that it has a really easy application over everything. It looks equally beautiful over foundation, powder, cc cream and bare skin.

 

Next up I was given this Ted Baker "Lips made for kissing" lip crayon set from one of my best friends Rachael. This was also in one of my wish lists and if you can't look at that picture and instantly see why then you must be blind! The minute I saw this I fell head over heels for it. The four lip crayons are perfect and there is a shade for any occasion. From left to right we have a beautiful reddy plum colour that is perfect for the night scene. I love a dark lip on special occasions and this is absolutely perfect. Next is what I call "Barbie pink" as it is a gorgeous girly pink colour which I feel will be a must next spring/summer time. Then we have a lighter pink which could pass as a nude colour that has just a hint of coral in it. I adore this shade and is probably my favourite of the set as it is just amazing for every day wear. I don't think there is an occasion where this isn't appropriate. And finally is a beautiful red. You know how I love my red lips from the previous post and this is just no exception to that.
These lip crayons are full of colour, last for hours and hours and feel like silk on the lip. I am so thankful to Rachael for buying this set for me as it is just the perfect gift for me and I love it to the death.

 

 Fragrance:

Now as is the general rule for Christmas, I did receive quite a few smellys. But don't get me wrong, I am not complaining in the slightest. In fact these gifts are all beautiful and extra special as they were so unexpected.

 

First from my Brother I received the Body Shops "White musk and smoky rose" Eau de toilette in a 30ml sized bottle. This is one of my favourite scents now, I absolutely adore it. I'm no good at explaining how things smell in technical terms but this is just beautiful. It's very floral but not in a sickly sweet kind of way, in fact the musk makes it smell so sophisticated and adult. I feel as though this is more of an Autumn/Winter scent but would be perfect for a night out having a meal or something in the summer time. I love everything about this perfume, even down to the wonderful ombré packaging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I was given this Ted Baker fragrance named "Made in heaven" by my other best friend Danielle. You know you've got good friends when the Ted Baker just keeps rolling in! haha! No but seriously this is an outstanding gift and I feel so lucky to own this. Unlike the previous scent this is super sweet and girly but not in an overpowering manner at all. It's very fruity making it ideal for Spring/Summer  and I have a feeling come that time of year I wont be able to put it down. I absolutely love this fragrance and I can't thank Danielle enough for it as it is so 'me'.

 

The final scent I received was from one of my Aunties and was this Charlie Enchant gift set. I've never smelt the Enchant scent of the Charlie range before but it's absolutely gorgeous. Apparently it contains "a captivating blend of wild apple. honeysuckle and coconut". Thankfully the coconut isn't strong enough to smell alone as I detest the smell of coconut. Again like the previous scent this is a very girly perfume as it is very sweet, however this one is a floral kind of sweet and I think when applying this I will have to be careful as it could be overpowering. But without dousing myself in it, it should smell amazingly fresh.
I also like how you get a body spray with it as I've found that the body spray isn't quite as strong and will make a nice touch up throughout the day if kept in my handbag. Overall I love this set!

 

 

Bath & Shower:I did receive a few bath and shower items this year but just one set stood out as sheer genius. And that was this set that my Grandma gave me. It is this BNatural sleep time set that contains a hand creams, a pillow spray, a bath milk and a body balm. And each and every one of these smells of lavender! Now, this is extra special for me as when I was very little and tiny, if I was having trouble nodding off my other Grandma would put a few drops of Lavender oil on my pillow, and if I burn myself even to this day I apply lavender oil to the wound to help soothe and heal it. So the scent of lavender is one of those memory triggers that instantly puts a smile on my face. Now the only one of these I've had chance to use yet is the hand cream which has left my hands feeling very silky soft and smelling wonderfully nostalgic. Hopefully this will actually aid with my sleeping as well as I often get bouts of insomnia and so a helping hand would be fantastic. I just wish I still lived in Hull where the rest of my non-immediate family live so I could walk up the road to my Grandma's house and thank her for these in person as it was just a lovely gift and really did brighten up my day a little.

 

 

So that's it for my Christmas beauty favourites 2013. I can't thank everyone who even bothered to buy me a gift, regardless of what it was, enough as they have all left me feeling so thought of and lucky. Thanks to these people I have left 2013 and walked in to 2014 feeling so much better about myself than I have in a very long time. I finally feel as though I have all the support I could ever ask for wrapped up in just a few close friends and my family. And I very much hope that they know I would be as supporting and loving to each and every one of them as they are me.
So, that's it now, 2013 is gone for good and I can't tell you just how excited I am for the forthcoming year and all the changes I'm hoping to achieve. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year surrounded by those you love. Cherish every second of it guys! I know I do!

Much love, G x