Things are about to get very festive around these parts come December, so what better way to kick things off than with my own personal Christmas List. Over the past few months I've been putting in some serious time window shopping, saving up links and scribbling things down on post-it notes that I've ensured make their way into Darren's possession, mostly by sticking them on the bathroom mirror.

Unsurprisingly the list is a beauty exclusive zone, starting with a perfume that's been on my mind for nearly an entire year when I came across it last December. Diptyque Volutes Eau de Toilette is a deep, musky fragrance unlike anything else in my collection and one that would make for a perfect warm Winter scent. I've also been eyeing up their Baies Room Spray after my trip to Suzie's where this made her entire flat smell beautiful. Candles have always been a constant in my Christmas lists over the years and this time it's the Malin + Goetz Votive Set that's caught my eye. While the scents of Dark Rum, Tocacco and Vetiver may be an odd combination to get your head around, I've heard they're not to be missed.

The colder seasons are also when I like to indulge in a good amount of bath time and Laura Mercier's Honey Musk Bath & Body Duet, combining the Soufflé Body Cream and Honey Bath, looks like the perfect touch of luxury for this. Also on the list for winding down in the evening is the This Works Deep Sleep Plus+, a soothing pillow spray that aids in drifting off to sleep and another constant on my list year by year. The new ramped up Plus+ formula also promises to help any restless sleepers enjoy an uninterrupted slumber and I can't say no to that.

Aside from the obligatory novelty socks (these Christmas Kitten pair from Asos are definitely the one) the last few bits on this list fall somewhere in the category of 'it's just so pretty!' items that I can't get out of my head, including the Zoeva Rose Gold Brush Set which I've been dreaming of owning for months - not just a beautiful set of brushes but from a brand I've come to trust and love too, and the Nails Inc Alexa Hearts Collection. Since Alexa Chung became the face of the brand and the new packaging design launched earlier this year, Nails Inc have been peaking my interest more so than my all time favourite Essie - and that's saying something. This set contains six polishes, with three exclusive shades, a holographic top coat and two chunky glitters made up of hearts and stars. I'm in love!

Deep breath - that was a long one! What's on your Christmas list this year?

• November 28, 2014

What's On My Christmas List

Things are about to get very festive around these parts come December, so what better way to kick things off than with my own personal Christmas List. Over the past few months I've been putting in some serious time window shopping, saving up links and scribbling things down on post-it notes that I've ensured make their way into Darren's possession, mostly by sticking them on the bathroom mirror.

Unsurprisingly the list is a beauty exclusive zone, starting with a perfume that's been on my mind for nearly an entire year when I came across it last December. Diptyque Volutes Eau de Toilette is a deep, musky fragrance unlike anything else in my collection and one that would make for a perfect warm Winter scent. I've also been eyeing up their Baies Room Spray after my trip to Suzie's where this made her entire flat smell beautiful. Candles have always been a constant in my Christmas lists over the years and this time it's the Malin + Goetz Votive Set that's caught my eye. While the scents of Dark Rum, Tocacco and Vetiver may be an odd combination to get your head around, I've heard they're not to be missed.

The colder seasons are also when I like to indulge in a good amount of bath time and Laura Mercier's Honey Musk Bath & Body Duet, combining the Soufflé Body Cream and Honey Bath, looks like the perfect touch of luxury for this. Also on the list for winding down in the evening is the This Works Deep Sleep Plus+, a soothing pillow spray that aids in drifting off to sleep and another constant on my list year by year. The new ramped up Plus+ formula also promises to help any restless sleepers enjoy an uninterrupted slumber and I can't say no to that.

Aside from the obligatory novelty socks (these Christmas Kitten pair from Asos are definitely the one) the last few bits on this list fall somewhere in the category of 'it's just so pretty!' items that I can't get out of my head, including the Zoeva Rose Gold Brush Set which I've been dreaming of owning for months - not just a beautiful set of brushes but from a brand I've come to trust and love too, and the Nails Inc Alexa Hearts Collection. Since Alexa Chung became the face of the brand and the new packaging design launched earlier this year, Nails Inc have been peaking my interest more so than my all time favourite Essie - and that's saying something. This set contains six polishes, with three exclusive shades, a holographic top coat and two chunky glitters made up of hearts and stars. I'm in love!

Deep breath - that was a long one! What's on your Christmas list this year?

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Like it or not, Vlogmas is right around the corner and in preparation for a whole month of non-stop vlogging I thought it was about time to dust off the camera and get back into the swing of things with a few snippets from last weekend. It may not have been the most eventful two days but things are getting pretty festive around these parts so a visit to the first Christmas market of the year was in order. Large amounts of crepe were consumed, fairy lights awed at and Primark raided for novelty knitwear. All in all, a good weekend I'd say!

• November 27, 2014

Weekend Vlog: Christmas Markets & Crepes

Like it or not, Vlogmas is right around the corner and in preparation for a whole month of non-stop vlogging I thought it was about time to dust off the camera and get back into the swing of things with a few snippets from last weekend. It may not have been the most eventful two days but things are getting pretty festive around these parts so a visit to the first Christmas market of the year was in order. Large amounts of crepe were consumed, fairy lights awed at and Primark raided for novelty knitwear. All in all, a good weekend I'd say!

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It was only a matter of time before I had to sit down and recreate one of Jennifer Lawrence's make up looks. From her always glowing skin to the fact that she's absolutely hilarious, I'm bordering on obsessed with this girl. Jen (yes, we're on first name terms now) wore this natural dewy make up with a subtle smoky eye to the LA Premiere of The Hunger Games Mockingjay movie and I'm sure it's one I'll be bringing out again and again!

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• November 24, 2014

Jennifer Lawrence Inspired Drugstore Make Up Look

It was only a matter of time before I had to sit down and recreate one of Jennifer Lawrence's make up looks. From her always glowing skin to the fact that she's absolutely hilarious, I'm bordering on obsessed with this girl. Jen (yes, we're on first name terms now) wore this natural dewy make up with a subtle smoky eye to the LA Premiere of The Hunger Games Mockingjay movie and I'm sure it's one I'll be bringing out again and again!

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The last month has been a good one for beauty buys - from a trip to the Burberry store in Covent Garden to browsing the aisles of boots (can't beat a 3 for 2!) and today I'm showing you what's made it into my shopping basket. I've gone a little mad on the lip pencil front, found a concealer that might just replace my beloved Origins Plantscription and stocked up on bath goodies for some cosy Autumn soaks!

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• November 19, 2014

Autumn Beauty Haul

The last month has been a good one for beauty buys - from a trip to the Burberry store in Covent Garden to browsing the aisles of boots (can't beat a 3 for 2!) and today I'm showing you what's made it into my shopping basket. I've gone a little mad on the lip pencil front, found a concealer that might just replace my beloved Origins Plantscription and stocked up on bath goodies for some cosy Autumn soaks!

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My hair has been long overdue a chop for a while now. After skimming through a few old Vlogmas videos from last December it dawned on me that it's been almost a year since I last sat down in the chair for a trim. Perhaps having the most length chopped off in my entire hair history on said occasion was my reason for avoiding getting it cut again for so long, but after one too many frustrating moments trying to style it (particularly my over-long curtains - growing out a fringe isn't an easy process) and an abundance of split ends I decided it was time for a change.

For those local to the South I went to Josh at Regis in Fareham and honestly have never trusted a hairdresser so much before. We barely need to discuss what I'm going for - he just gets it. I knew I wanted it short - around shoulder length, so he gave me a blunt cut with a few long layers to take out the bulk at the ends and added in some subtle highlights to give my usual messy style more definition.

If you'd told me two years ago that I'd be embracing short hair I wouldn't have believed you, but I now absolutely love it. Styling is a breeze - I can get away with a quick ten minute shampoo and blow dry in the morning and still look presentable and even adding in a few curls takes half the time. Since my appointment on Tuesday I've also been glued to the 'Hair' page on Feel Unique and have a few new bits in the post as we speak (new hair, new products - am I right?) so expect an updated hair routine of sorts to be making it's way to you soon!

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• November 15, 2014

A New Shorter Do

My hair has been long overdue a chop for a while now. After skimming through a few old Vlogmas videos from last December it dawned on me that it's been almost a year since I last sat down in the chair for a trim. Perhaps having the most length chopped off in my entire hair history on said occasion was my reason for avoiding getting it cut again for so long, but after one too many frustrating moments trying to style it (particularly my over-long curtains - growing out a fringe isn't an easy process) and an abundance of split ends I decided it was time for a change.

For those local to the South I went to Josh at Regis in Fareham and honestly have never trusted a hairdresser so much before. We barely need to discuss what I'm going for - he just gets it. I knew I wanted it short - around shoulder length, so he gave me a blunt cut with a few long layers to take out the bulk at the ends and added in some subtle highlights to give my usual messy style more definition.

If you'd told me two years ago that I'd be embracing short hair I wouldn't have believed you, but I now absolutely love it. Styling is a breeze - I can get away with a quick ten minute shampoo and blow dry in the morning and still look presentable and even adding in a few curls takes half the time. Since my appointment on Tuesday I've also been glued to the 'Hair' page on Feel Unique and have a few new bits in the post as we speak (new hair, new products - am I right?) so expect an updated hair routine of sorts to be making it's way to you soon!

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As sad as it was to see October go by so quickly I'm incredibly excited that we're now in November and Christmas is just around the corner! This month the beauty picks we're a little scarce - I'm still sticking firm with the products from September's video and loving them, so as well as a handful of October's beauty essentials I've added in a few fashion and lifestyle favourites for a change. Warning - things get very festive towards the end!

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• November 10, 2014

October Favourites

As sad as it was to see October go by so quickly I'm incredibly excited that we're now in November and Christmas is just around the corner! This month the beauty picks we're a little scarce - I'm still sticking firm with the products from September's video and loving them, so as well as a handful of October's beauty essentials I've added in a few fashion and lifestyle favourites for a change. Warning - things get very festive towards the end!

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The last three months of the year are always the best in my eyes. October is when Autumn really begins, November has Bonfire Night and fireworks and you can't even say December without thinking about Christmas. One of my favourite things to do on the weekends is wrap up warm and spend the afternoon wandering around new cities - anywhere with cobbled streets are a must, darting in and out of shops and trying to find the cosiest place with coffee and cake on the menu.

• November 09, 2014

This Week: Feeling Festive in Guilford

The last three months of the year are always the best in my eyes. October is when Autumn really begins, November has Bonfire Night and fireworks and you can't even say December without thinking about Christmas. One of my favourite things to do on the weekends is wrap up warm and spend the afternoon wandering around new cities - anywhere with cobbled streets are a must, darting in and out of shops and trying to find the cosiest place with coffee and cake on the menu.

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If I were writing a list of my all time most used and most loved make up products there's no doubt the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils would rank highly (I now own a eye watering six of them, but who's counting?). As a lover of a bold lip there's nothing more convenient than a liner, colour and long lasting formula all in one and these pencils boast just that as well as an amazing range of colours and finishes. The one problem is the not so friendly price tag - at £18 each they may not be the most expensive lip products out there but they're certainly not the cheapest.

While the packaging may not be quite as swish, the Maybelline Colour Drama Lipsticks do look undeniably similar to the NARS Pencils. In the last year alone there have been an abundance of lip crayon launches from nearly every high street brand, most along the lines of a twist up glossy formula with little colour pay off - not exactly my cup of tea. I didn't expect Maybelline's newest offering to be much different but surprisingly they're just as good, if not better than their high end counterparts. The formulas are just as pigmented, go on smoothly and in my opinion feel far more comfortable to wear than the NARS pencils which can lean on the dry side a few hours post-application.

The two shades I picked up are also incredibly similar to two of my favourites from NARS - Fab Orange being a perfect dupe for Red Square, my go-to orangey toned red and Red Essential matching up identically to Cruella, a rich Autumnal burgundy. Although ultimately the NARS Lip Pencils win in terms of colour range these high street alternatives have become a firm favourite for an easy bold lip and at less than a third of the price what's not to love! The Colour Drama Lipsticks also have a good set of nude options - one of which I'm sure has the potential to be a Kylie Jenner type shade and there's also a fluorescent pink I've got my eye on for a future trip to Boots.. Hooray for budget finds!

• November 08, 2014

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils: A Budget Dupe

If I were writing a list of my all time most used and most loved make up products there's no doubt the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils would rank highly (I now own a eye watering six of them, but who's counting?). As a lover of a bold lip there's nothing more convenient than a liner, colour and long lasting formula all in one and these pencils boast just that as well as an amazing range of colours and finishes. The one problem is the not so friendly price tag - at £18 each they may not be the most expensive lip products out there but they're certainly not the cheapest.

While the packaging may not be quite as swish, the Maybelline Colour Drama Lipsticks do look undeniably similar to the NARS Pencils. In the last year alone there have been an abundance of lip crayon launches from nearly every high street brand, most along the lines of a twist up glossy formula with little colour pay off - not exactly my cup of tea. I didn't expect Maybelline's newest offering to be much different but surprisingly they're just as good, if not better than their high end counterparts. The formulas are just as pigmented, go on smoothly and in my opinion feel far more comfortable to wear than the NARS pencils which can lean on the dry side a few hours post-application.

The two shades I picked up are also incredibly similar to two of my favourites from NARS - Fab Orange being a perfect dupe for Red Square, my go-to orangey toned red and Red Essential matching up identically to Cruella, a rich Autumnal burgundy. Although ultimately the NARS Lip Pencils win in terms of colour range these high street alternatives have become a firm favourite for an easy bold lip and at less than a third of the price what's not to love! The Colour Drama Lipsticks also have a good set of nude options - one of which I'm sure has the potential to be a Kylie Jenner type shade and there's also a fluorescent pink I've got my eye on for a future trip to Boots.. Hooray for budget finds!

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