Valentine's Gift Ideas Under £50

Crabtree & Evelyn Gardener's Hands Gift Tin £18 // Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris EDP 30ml £46.50 // Next Large Alphabet Makeup Bag £14 //  Pearls Of Love Necklace £38 // The Balm Autobalm California Palette £16.50

Mi-Pac Canvas Backpack £30 // Crabtree & Evelyn Men's Mini Shave Duo £16 // Next Men's Skincare Gift Set £18 // Jimmy Choo Man EDT Gift Set 50ml £30 // Ben Sherman Tan Leather Watch £50

Valentine's Day is only a couple of weeks away so here are my top 5 picks for Valentine's gifts for him and for her, all under £50.

xo

Video: Mis Regalos de Navidad

Un video en español donde hablo de mis regalos de Navidad ♥ If you don't speak Spanish you can read about my Christmas gifts on my New In: December post.

xo

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

A couple of January sales ago I found an Origins gift set in the clearance section in Boots for around £7, and one of the 4 items included in the gift set was the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. I have heard good things about this face mask but since my skin is very oily I postponed using it. This winter I thought I might try it and use it to replenish moisture lost due to cold weather, heating and the use of purifying face masks and microdermabrasion. 

The Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is a very rich and hydrating overnight mask that claims to deeply and instantly quench compromised moisture reserves thanks to avocado and apricot kernel oils, while the use of Japanese seaweed helps repair the skin barrier to prevent future dehydration and signs of premature ageing. 

I use the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask 2 or 3 times a week after other treatments that might dry my skin out, and apply a small amount to my whole face, with any leftover applied to my neck. In the morning my skin feels plump, moisturised and soft. It is very rich so you don't need a lot, and it advises to tissue off excess, which I think would be a waste of product so just use the necessary amount and it should last a long time. This mask has a lot of natural plant oils and extracts, as well as hyaluronic acid, making it a great option to replenish moisture for dry or dehydrated skin. 

Find the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask in Boots. 

xo

Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Hand Recovery and Therapy

On the sale event at Boots a couple of Christmases ago, I managed to find a Crabtree and Evelyn hand care gift set for about £4, and picked it up because how could I not? It came in a lovely red collectable tin that I plan on keeping to decorate every December, and the Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Skin Conditioning Hand Recovery and Ultra Moisturising Hand Therapy. 

When I first read the name of the products I thought they were both hand creams, but the Skin Conditioning Hand Recovery is a hand scrub that exfoliates the skin on the hands to leave them feeling "noticeably softer and smoother". And the Ultra-Moisturising Hand Therapy is an intensive hand cream formulated with pomegranate, argan and grapeseed oils, and claims to leave hands feeling softer after each use. 

The Hand Recovery scrub is formulated with macadamia seed oil and shea butter, and that is noticeable the moment you start massaging it onto your hands. After doing so for about a minute, I rinse the product off and my hands feel smoother and very moisturised. Then I proceed to apply a pea sized amount of the Hand Therapy, which smells delicious, slightly citrusy and fresh, and massage it on until it's absorbed, which doesn't take long. After using both products my hands feel so soft and nourished. I tried it on my husband the other day and treated him to a hand massage - he loved it so much in fact he asked me when we were doing the hand scrub again haha! ♥

If you have dry skin on your hands or just feel like pampering yourself, I would definitely recommend the Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Skin Conditioning Hand Recovery and Ultra Moisturising Hand Therapy, available in Boots.

xo

Botanics Triple Age Renewal Oil

As I was about to run out of my serum and winter was coming, I opted for a facial oil to use before my moisturiser at night, and I selected the Botanics Triple Age Renewal Smoothing Facial Oil as it is quite affordable at only £4. 

The Botanics Triple Age Renewal Oil claims to be super nourishing, lightweight and non greasy, and to smooth fine lines and renew the skin. Easily absorbed and replenishing of essential skin lipids thanks to purple orchid and moisturising sugars and plant extracts, it will leave skin soft and supple. 

The first time I used this facial oil I noticed that it felt a bit greasy on the skin, however after a few uses I got accustomed to that sensation. I've been using the oil since around the start of winter to avoid the feeling of tight skin after washing my makeup off at night and I must say that it does that, plus it leaves my skin soft and moisturised. 

Lately I've also been applying it near my under eye area and it seems to be having a thickening effect on the thin skin under my eyes as some of the veins are no longer visible, which must be down to the retinol it contains. The Botanics Triple Age Renewal Smoothing Facial Oil also contains almond, jojoba and rosa moscheta oils and vitamin E. 

I would recommend this oil if you are looking for an affordable facial oil with natural ingredients to use during winter to keep skin soft and moisturised. 

Find Botanics Triple Age Renewal Smoothing Facial Oil in Boots. 

xo

Knee High Boots

H&M Wool Coat // Uniqlo Skirt // H&M Mohair Jumper // Next Knee High Boots // Topshop Bag

(Similar: Wool Reefer Coat, Grey Skirt, Mohair Jumper, Knee High Boots, Crossbody Bag)

So, the 2nd app I've been using to make gifs has died, so thanks for that cinemagram and gifboom, very annoying. Breaking news: I found another app and I think it migh be better as they gif looks better quality.
Anyway I finally rediscovered these knee high boots from Next that I received a couple of years ago, I forgot to wear them last year so didn't wear them once. I like them as they keep my legs warm and I think they make me look taller.
Also loving this new bag I got in the Topshop sale, there was another version of it in the style of the Chanel 2.55 but trying it on I found it is not really my style. This one is very simple, with a magnetic closure and though it's not very big, it's good as I'll avoid overpacking stuff into my bag.

xo

Favourite Autumn/Winter Lip Products

I'm not that much of a lipstick person, I prefer a tinted lip balm, and what better time to wear one than during the colder months, when the skin on your lips can get dry, uncomfortable and even chapped because of strong winds and low temperatures.

My three most reached for lip products these days are: 

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia: this 100% natural lip balm has a dark red tint to it and leaves my lips feeling soft, but of course needs reapplying after eating or drinking, which I don't mind. 

Bourjois Color Boost in Plum Russian: a bit more pigmented than the Burt's Bees one, this lip crayon leaves my lips looking shiny and with a wintery berry colour. It can be layered for a more opaque colour.

Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose: this lip balm is definitely thicker than the other two, leaves lips feeling nourished and with a slight sheen and a rosy colour to them. This lip butter also works as a sheer stain when it wears off.

What are your favourite winter lip products?

xo

New in: December 2016

Last month I think I only bought one thing for myself, so the first 8 pictures are my Christmas gifts.

Dot got me some socks, Olympea by Paco Rabanne (which came with a reindeer plush toy), Get a Life by Vivienne Westwood, David Bowie Who Can I Be Now? Collection and an Instax Mini 8 in pink ♥

I also got a Lady Title, Ziggyology book, Notebook and Diary. Two H&M gift cards, money and tickets to see Justice later this year. Nivea and Along Came Betty Gift sets, and a hand made Patisserie de Bain Gift set. Pjs, dressing gown and 2 pairs of slippers. 

Two hair turbans, an avocado tool, dark Toblerone, apron and oven mitt. A quilt, food processor and a Bush digital frame. More toiletries, a reindeer toy and a calendar. 

And the only thing I got was a leather Topshop bag in the sale, the notebook I got this month and it's from The Works. 

Did you get anything nice last month?

xo

A Classic Tote Bag With Trendy Accents

As part of my collaboration with Zaful, I received this gorgeous tote bag. I picked it out because I really liked the sleek, classic and minimal style of the body of the bag, as well as the fun add-ons it comes with. 

The body of the bag is very sturdy and the faux leather is very smooth. It has an accessible front pocket with a snap button closure, a main zipped compartment and an interior pocket. The bag is not lined with any textiles so the interior is the same material as the exterior, which makes it waterproof.

This classic tote comes with 2 different removable straps: one adjustable in the same material as the body, and one thick and colourful fabric reversible one which is very trendy and can be used on other bags as well! It also comes with a grey super soft pompom with an elastic on the back so it can be attached to the front or side of the bag, or it could even be used as a key chain. 

All in all, very pleased with this bag, I like it even more than the last one I received from Zaful. 

Find this versatile tote bag on Zaful.com

xo