Christmas is Coming... Spoil Yourself

We are well and truly in the festive period with Christmas just 16 days away... I can not believe how fast December is flying by! We always have a massive build up to December and you think you have lots of time to get your preparations ready and then before you know it you've only got just over 2 weeks to finish everything.

So, I think why not treat yourself to something. I've been ordering a few presents online this year for my family and it can get stressful when you can't find what your looking for. Signing up to the email subscription list can be lethal though, when you wake up and you get an email and it has an amazing offer on. Well this happened to me on Thursday at the top of my list was a Topshop email in the subheading it stated 30% off partywear plus free delivery. I think this is a really good offer for Topshop as usually its just like 10% off or free delivery. So I starting browsing through thinking about the Christmas night out with my uni friends and then when I am home for Christmas there will definitely be a few nice meals out as well as nights out. I came across a really lovely jumpsuit, I had seen a plain black one in Topshop but it was £45 which I thought was a little excessive for a product with no detail or design. I spotted this lovely mono floral patterned jumpsuit which was black and white and caught my eye straight away. You know in Confessions of a Shopaholic where she spots the green scarf I felt like that moment! The jumpsuit should of been £55 it was then £40 with the discount and I then got another 10% student discount off so it was £36. I don't think its particularly 'cheap' but its really lovely, and I know I will be able to wear it a lot and because its full length I wont get to chilly on my nights out. Its due to come into the store tomorrow, but I got an email saying its been dispatched today so hopefully it comes in today so I can collect it before work tonight.

The purpose of this post is to treat yourself to something which you've either wanted for ages or spontaneously spotted something which you have set your heart on. Christmas can stressful trying to organise everything whilst still carrying on with normal daily life. Buying something for yourself whether it being something simple like a piece of makeup that you've wanted for ages, or even DVD which you know will relieve your stresses if you sit down and watch it is the perfect thing for you to do. It doesn't have to be particularly expensive just something that will put a little smile on your face. Trust me I've had a very busy long two weeks and knowing I've going to collect something which will make me feel happy is such a excellent feeling.

Its a Monday morning which is always dreary knowone loves Monday's, so go spoil yourself a little and your Monday will instantly feel like a Friday.

Lucy
xoxo

Christmas is Coming - High Street Vs Online

A customer last weekend at work said something interested to me, about how in the next 5 years she thinks there will be no need for the high street at all, and absolutely all shopping will be done online.

So I started to think about the positives and negatives of shopping on the high street against shopping online and here's a few approaches which I came up with.

Positives

High Street -
Firstly, I honestly love browsing round the shops and being able to go out with your friends, being able to chat and look at new things, pick a few bits up, try them on and strut around a bit and decide what looks good. If you going on a night out you want something that's special, and being able to look at it and decide there and then if you love or hate it is a huge positive for me. As well as being able to just choose a selection of sizes to try so you don't have to come back another day. You really do not get the same buzz shopping online as you do in store. Being able to shop right up until Christmas Eve you can't do this online, the last minute shopping excitement adds to the festive spirit. You can browse around with your lists of people you need to buy for and get that satisfaction of ticking it off everyone as the list gets smaller, you feel less stressed and a lot happier.

Online -
You can easily browse through thousands of pages quickly and conveniently and pick out exactly what your looking. A huge bonus to shopping online is the refine button - I love it! You can refine all the pages by colour, price, your size, literally everything so your pretty much left with exactly what your looking for. I also like how they split all the pages up so you can just go on dresses and then filter it to petite or whatever your looking for. I love the fact of how quick it is to pay, if you shop on the website a lot you can create an account which remembers all of you details, including you address and card details so you don't have to mess around. Its so quick and convenient but it means shopping online is so easily done - its dangerous to the bank account. Some shops offer free delivery or free collection from store which is really convenient, especially if you know what you want its stress free. Its great not having to deal with the crazy crowds in shopping centres or the high street is great, that is definitely one of the biggest positives to online shopping. A major plus is shopping in the sales, there are even more crazy people and they are more determined to get what they want, so the craziness steps up another level. It kind of takes the fun out of the sales, and you come away feeling completely drained from the whole experience. Whereas, shopping the sales online is stress free you can browse, select what you want, pop it in your basket, pay, and bam it arrives at your house a few days later.

Negatives

High Street -
Compared to online, shopping in store you have to browse round the entire store to get a proper look at everything on offer. Unless you know what you want having the entire high street to choose from can be a pain and can take the entire day. I think I can get stressed more easily shopping on the high street than online, just because of the fact that you go out with a real ambition to find something you love, and when you don't find something its heart breaking. I don't get the same feeling of dissatisfaction if I don't find something I want online, I just think I'll look in the store tomorrow. Now, Christmas is coming and having to queue up in shops can be so stressful, it simples puts me off wanting the product if there's more than 5 people if my queue! I always seem to be in a rush and I am thinking about where I need to next, and then you get the person in front with no price tag on the item, or is arguing that there product is on sale and the assistant is saying how that particular display isn't on the offer. It can all get very heated and angry. Also, the hustle and bustle of the high street yes I love the amount of enthusiasm for Christmas but my god the banging and bumping into everyone, clothes ending up on the floor its madness.

Online -
Now this is a strange one but shopping online can be negative due to the fact of how easy it is to actually do! At a click of a button you've spent all your wages in one 30 minute session where you've browsed all your favourite shops and bought have of what it has on offer. Now to my major reasoning for not shopping online - paying delivery. Yep sorry I've mentioned it again but it really makes my blood boil £3.99 to have something delivered is so expensive. It annoys me how if you order a pair of earrings its the same price as ordering ten jumpers! I hate the fact that you have to sometimes wait in for your delivery and they give you a time slot which is usually anytime of the day and then it comes that one second you nip out of the house. Then you have to arrange for redelivery or the most annoying thing which is when they just take it to the post office so then you have to trek there and the post office is barely ever open its just such a pain. Another issue is I've ordered things online thinking they look really lovely in the picture, and when its arrived it looks nothing like what you thought you had ordered. You cant really get a feel of the texture of the clothes or the fit like the stretchiness. Shopping the sales online can be stressful though when something's in your basket and your are still browsing and it becomes out of stock before you pay that's so annoying. The last thing is the fact that online shopping is anti-social, shopping alone with no opinions can be boring and stressful especially when its something extra special that your looking for.

After all that debating, my decision is still easy for me the high street wins! I love going shopping with my friends its just so exciting and you can plan to go and spend the whole day together. Online shopping just doesn't give me this satisfaction.

Lucy
xoxo

Christmas is Coming - Searching for Discount Codes

After my post earlier in the week about paying for delivery and the frustration that it causes me, I started searching for discount codes the method I used was very simple - I typed into Google the shop I was looking for then discount codes after it. It brought up loads of webpages with sites offering codes. It usually brings up the most used ones at the top so I think its best to stick to sites like vouchercloud and vouchercodes. It can be a little bit annoying because some of the codes are out of date as they all have expiries on them, but you should be able to find some kind of code somewhere with a little bit of searching. On the first site I went on which was vouchercodes.co.uk, it brought me a selection of offers for me to choose from. I picked the 10% off everything and free delivery that instantly saved me £6 on this present which was just part of a present for my mum. I feel that I can now spend £6 on something else for her or it can just go towards someone else's present. Like I was saying in my previous post, if people actually added up delivery charges for all there presents that they have done online people would be very surprised at how much it has actually cost them.

So from now every time I go online I am going to search for codes, it only takes a few minutes at the most and if you've got a little bit of time I would definitely recommend having a look around at what's on offer. I do think they may be an occasion where there is nothing available for some shops but you never know unless you try and sometimes you can really find a big saving especially if its an item with a big price tag.

I also nearly forgot to mention the fact that if you go on to discount websites, they sometimes have printable coupons that you can take into store and show, and they can either scan them or they have codes on them and you can save that way. In America couponing is huge, but over here its slowly becoming more popular. For example in Boots monthly catalogue there's always have coupons on the back and check your boots card when you go in you always get bits of money off or extra points. If you sign up to shops email subscription, I wake up to a stack of emails offering me 10% off today only and free delivery over the weekend. Over the last weekend Topshop had 20% shoes and bags and free delivery on everything which made me extremely happy! It just makes you save a little bit more with little effort when you have email subscription because there's no fuss, it just tells you what to do and you know its going to be valid because it always states clearly the dates it valid.

I hope you all get discount code searching and let me know if you find anything that you was extremely proud of, I guarantee you will feel a sense of satisfaction that the fact that you have saved yourself money.

Happy online shopping!

Lucy
xoxo

More Festive Ideas

I keep having so many ideas about posts over this upcoming month, I am going to end up with so many little series being run over the festive period. Two of the Christmas Gift Guides are already out if you haven't seen them then where have you been?! You can look through my blog by clicking here... http://lucyalanamccann.blogspot.com There is stocking fillers and unisex presents out at the moment, with a few more on the way within the next few days.

So I mentioned doing a series on my favourite shops and what they have on offer this is still going to go ahead and the first one will be posted in the next few days but I still don't know what to name  the series of posts.

Then I started to think of all these other ideas, more creative ideas for you and just bits and bobs that have festive connections so this will be a series called - Christmas is Coming. I have been waiting to put up some posts but I could not think of the name and then I just thought of it this morning! I like it because it sounds like a build up and that's want I wanted to create counting down until Christmas. I just keep having loads of ideas and I don't want to have like 10 different series running across the blog. I won't be able to keep up! So the name covers an umbrella of different kinds of posts and is quite general so I think I will be able to use it quite widely. So the first one of these posts will go up at some point later today.

So this was just a quick update if you was wondering where the posts I promised have got to. I am determined to name the other series today, so I am not going to do another update now, it will just appear and hopefully it will have a good name some time soon.

So there's going to be 3 series running throughout December which I am excited about, so I best start collating my ideas for them all.

Lucy
xoxo

Christmas Gift Guide: Unisex Presents For All

This Gift Guide covers everything that adds that little or big extra to someone's present. All of the presents in this guide are unisex - so you have ideas for everyone! All the pictures are girly but the actual content of the presents are relatable to anyone - hoping this will give you a few ideas and everyone enjoys reading through it....
 
  
1. When candle lovers think of candle brands Jo Malone is definitely what people think of. The home candles are the most well known I think as its the collection with the most selection. However, there is a hefty price tag - £39. These are actually the cheapest out of all the collections though, there's so many different scents and they come in groups: Citrus, Fruity, Light Floral, Floral, Spicy and Woody. There is 15 in this collection in total including a limited edition one. The candles also come in travel sizes which are £22 and I mentioned these in my stocking fillers guide. If your feeling extra generous you could dip into the more expensive collections which are: Luxury, Deluxe and Cologne Intense. I was shocked to see the luxury collection has price tags of £260!!! I think this is a ludicrous price for a candle and would definitely be sticking to the £39 candles this year. The scents are just so lovely and long lasting and I think its a really appreciative gift as people do though they are expensive. The home collection candles are 200g and have a burning time of 45 hours.
 
 
2. Last year I received an organiser from Paperchase from my best friend at the time I was working a lot of hours and did never know where I needed to be and at what time. I always just went with what I thought but when I was trying to organise to do things with my friends I never knew when I was free. So when she bought me this I was a bit like what do I do with it I've never had a diary in my life! But oh my its been so useful, this one is £12 and includes 18 month mid-year pocket organiser for 2013 - 2014. It includes a decorative hanging tag, inside pocket with card holder and another pocket at the back and the most useful part a mid-year insert July 2013 to December 2014. Its just perfect for everyone male and female and once you've used the pages you can just buy inserts for the next year so its a present which someone can potentially use for years.


3. A magazine subscription is another great present to someone. Everyone has there favourite magazine whether it be weekly gossip or the monthly's. Its just a great little present and its an easier than them having to go to the shops each week/month. As well as this is you always get a really good extra present for signing up to a subscription and with a bit of research, over the year you can save a lot of money. The great thing is your guaranteed that your going to get it on the release day. month after month and some magazines are really expensive these days. For example Elle is over £4 now and you can get a 6 month subscription for £9.99. Its a really good saving for the person and I think its a really appreciated gift.



4. Now, cosy pyjamas are a must for Christmas! A lot of people buy a pair themselves for the festive period with Christmas novelties and designs on them. But, for the new year its nice to have a nice pair of cosy pjs that you can snuggle in in winter and are extremely cosy. Primark have the most amazing range of pyjamas and there always thick and have cute designs on them and there about £8. If you want to splash out a little more as a present these ones in the picture are from Debenhams and are £25, there really lovely material and the designs are nice and simple but still colourful. On this theme a nice new pair of slippers are always appreciated as well!


5. If your really struggling with presents and can not think of anything to buy people then gift cards are a great alternative. Growing up my mum used to always buy them my cousins when they got a little older because she used to hate giving people money. She says that you know with a gift card they can get something they really want and you know your money hasn't gone to waste. Gift cards are good for anyone, any retail shop now sells gift cards so you can buy them for anyone of any age. Another great idea is vouchers like love2shop vouchers which you can use in many shops, so your not restricting the person to buying from one shop and they have a bit of variety and can shop round for something they really like.


6. In these upcoming winter months its going to get even more chilly than it already is unfortunately. That means one thing - the need to wrap up warm. I think an excellent present for men and women is buying them a new hat/gloves/scarf. This year I've bought my mum some really nice new pair of mittens which are fur lined and I think its a present that everyone appreciates its not necessarily that exciting or a present that is that out of the thought box. However, I think its a gift that I think that you know they will use. When I buy someone something I want them to be able to use it and not have it sat in a box not sure what to do with it.


                             

7. Purses and wallets are another present which is an everyday essential and when people change up there wardrobes through the seasons people like to have a new purse/wallet. You are able to get them quite cheaply but you can also get more expensive ones which you know are going to last longer especially if its real leather and you know it will last. The only problem is they can be quite personal as in the design and what they like it to have inside it, but if its someone your close to have a nosy at there current one, if not ask someone who would know. Its better to get them something that there definitely going to like and has everything they need in it, than get them something you think that they might like and your unsure on it but get it anyway because they could like it.



8. Theatre/concert tickets are also a good present if you buying for a couple and there's always some really good deals on around this time of year. Maybe they really like a particular singer or band and have really wanted to see them for a while but just haven't got round to buying them for themselves. Some people really enjoy going to the theatre I know my parents do and so do my grandparents. Its just a really thoughtful gift and there's so many productions on in the new year, you will definitely be able to find something that you think they will enjoy. Its a memorable occasion and they will remember that the gift was thoughtful and from you. If you and your friend really fancy going to see something you could pay for you both to go it will be a really nice night out for both of you and you get a bit of pleasure as well!

9. I am a person who loves to wear a watch, whereas my sister hates them. I always have mine on and I think a nice watch is a great Christmas present. It is a personal gift and everyone likes different things so you might have to do a bit of investigating and look at the jewellery which they always wear to get clues but it really does make a lovely Christmas present. It can be an easy present really, watches come in all price ranges you can get a basic watch with nothing fancy for a tenner but if you fancy spending a little bit more maybe getting it as a main present. You can get a top of the range one with all the fancy bits to it and one which is better quality and will probably last a lot longer. People like particular brands of watches and the watch market is huge so I can definitely guarantee you will find one which is perfect for a man or woman. I think men are more interested in the gadgets, meanwhile women are more interested in the designer and the colour! Doing a bit of research first fill definitely give you a heads up and make you decision a little easier.

10. This my seem a little boring for a present but I think buying someone a gadget for there computer/phone/ipod or  whatever piece of technology it is there is usually something you can buy to go along with it. I have heard about these juice boxes recently and was really intrigued by them. They are pretty pricey but especially with an iPhone they have such bad battery life especially for someone who's phone is essential for there daily work.  They are a rechargeable smart battery concealed inside of a low-profile, light-weight, soft-touch case which means that the phone won't run out of battery it virtually doubles your battery life. Even other bits for their gadgets like an new case, bag or earphones something which they wont necessary ask for but would appreciate.

 

 

Hope you have enjoyed this second post in my Christmas Gift Guide series. If you missed the first one where have you been! Heres the link in case you did to my blog so you can check it out and see everything else I've been up to as well.. http://lucyalanamccann.blogspot.com/

21 sleeps to go!!!!!

Lucy
xoxo


Products Mentioned:
http://www.jomalone.co.uk/products/3560/For-The-Home/Home-Candles/index.tmpl
http://www.paperchase.co.uk/invt/00507041/
http://www.elleuk.com/subscribe
http://www.debenhams.com
http://www.highstreetvouchers.com/gift-vouchers/love2shop?sen=google&link=7&id=400336&gclid=CKnF3dXllrsCFWmWtAod4WsABw
http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/accessories/fashion-scarves/hats/knitted-scarves/_/N-9u6ZbyuZc08Zc34
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Bags-Purses-Womens/b/1625695031?ie=UTF8&intid=gnav_women_bags-amp-purses
http://store.apple.com/uk/product/H6249ZM/A/mophie-juice-pack-air-for-iphone-4-or-iphone-4s
http://www.debenhams.com/women/watches

 

Paying Delivery

Currently doing a bit of late shopping online Christmas shopping and I've come to discover how much I hate having to pay for delivery. The average price for shops is £3.99. If you paid that on every present you bought it would soon add up, its just a shame that some of the presents I want to buy this year you can only get online so I really don't have an option. I just think its so cheeky considering the amount that you are paying already and to send a piece of clothing in the post it definitely does not cost them £3.99 to post it. I think its should be part of the service so many people would be more inclined to shop online if everywhere just had it free, and especially with the amount of shopping which is done online it would for sure boost there profits!

Its just so frustrating when you want something really bad for someone but an extra £3.99 postage to wait 3-5 days for a pair of gloves I find it ludicrous. I think this is why online shops like ASOS are so successful as having free shipping and free returns you think to yourself oh well if it doesn't fit I can get a full refund whereas if you order it online and pay for delivery and it doesn't fit you've wasted paying for delivery and then some shops charge you to send it back to them. It for sure puts me off ordering something like a dress because you can't tell the type of fit by looking at the picture. Just on a little rant as for some people you may buy them 2-3 smaller presents from different places to make the presents really thoughtful but your still paying £3.99 on each that's a potential of an extra £12 on one person's present! That would surely add up, I think people don't realise how much it adds up to especially an occasion like Christmas. I have to admit shopping online is convenient and you can just find the present without having to barge past people in busy shopping centres, whilst trying to find exactly what you want and having to tramp round for hours and stand in queues waiting to pay.

Hope some of you feel the same as me about paying delivery and this post has let you express you anger!

Lucy
xoxo

Additional Christmas Posts Series

As well as doing my series of Christmas Gift Guides, I have decided to also run alongside it another  little Christmas series its not yet got a name but I am working on ideas for it. The basic concept is that it is going to the best picks from a few of my favourite shops and what they have on offer because within the gift guides I have tried to pick things from a variety of places and prices to suit all. But I think that within certain shops this year they have some extra special things that I have had to miss out the guides which is sad because I want to be able to share all my favourite finds with you!

Its all work in progress at the moment but the first gift guide is already out and there's another one at the end of this week then two next week. So in between, I am going to run this little post series as well.
I also am going to run a few posts on little DIY gift ideas as Christmas is a great time to get creative and I think a homemade gift can be really appreciative. Its all very exciting and I hope you all enjoy my picks and finds to make this Christmas extra special.

Its the 2nd December so we are definitely allowed to just talk about Christmas constantly now for the next 23 days and discuss nothing else!

Lucy
xoxo

The first gift guide if you missed it ... https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6702639481255126969#editor/target=post;postID=6185597967984069681;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=1;src=postname

Christmas Gift Guide: Stocking Fillers

It is the best filling in the morning when you was a child receiving your stocking hanging on your door and it being filled with lots of little treats all wrapped up. When you get older though, stockings are still as exciting as you can get bits of things of someone that they know you like and have thought about when buying them for you, just bits and bobs of things you will appreciate. Buying things for someone's stocking without going overboard and spending to much can be hard as there's so many little gifts and trinkets out there. In the guide most things are £10 and under, then there's two presents which just sneak over the £10 mark and then there's one that's a little more pricey but its a gorgeous gift and is extra special!

So this gift guide has ten little gifts which I think would be perfect things to fit into a stocking:

1. Okay starting off chocolates from Thornton's:
Everybody loves chocolates and personally I think Thornton's is the best for providing such wide variety of treats and chocolates. These bags are so nice and are £2.99 or if you buy two bags are 2 for £5. I think there just nice little bags and they come in literally every chocolate. An alterative of these ready made bags is that you can buy the chocolates from the display where you can mix and match as many or as little chocolates as you want, so can choose from all the different chocolates to give the person who the present is for a few different chocolates. These are great for anyone of any age!


 2. Thisworks is a brilliant brand and I have tried this actual miniature pack. The mini deep sleep pillow spray contains a peaceful blend of Lavender, Vertivert and Camomile essential oils for relaxation, while mini deep sleep stress less aromatherapy roller encourages clear breathing for a deeper sleep. Its a really nice little present to pop in a stocking and its a perfect size for travelling and just for people to try to see if the products actually helps them to sleep. The combination of these are great as the you can smell the spray on your pillows to help you relax and the roller just makes you feel chilled and helps you to breathe clearly. It is £10 for this little set, you can also give this to females or males so if your struggling for ideas I recommend this.


 3. Impulse is a massively popular brand over here in the UK and there body sprays always smell so amazing. This little set called - the Impulse Lovely Little Tin Set is so cute. It contains 3 miniatures and as the name suggests come in a miniature tin to keep them all in. The scents of the sprays are: Very Pink, Loving Words and True Love. The set is just £5 and can be bought at Boots where they have 3 for 2 across all there Christmas gifts. I think these are good for girls all ages but they are something I think a older girl or teenager would really appreciate because the smells are always nice and its just a nice little set and they can just pop one in their school bag.



4. The  Baylis and Harding Beauticology Mini Trio is another little present which I think everyone would like and appreciate and I have to say I think it is a bargain at £4. It contains a shower crème (100ml), body wash (100ml) and a soap (100g). All the products in the stock fillers are miniatures just for the fact that unless you have a huge stocking its best to just pop miniatures in them. This is another body set which will be really appreciated and the scents of the products are lovely and calming. I would recommend to give this to any age woman to be honest, its just an all round nice little set to experiment with the brand and see if you like there products.



5. Space.NK is usually a very luxurious shop for 11 months of the year but at Christmas they bring out some nice little Christmas presents from the brands that they sell, one being the Little Bell by Aromatherapy Associates. The Little Bell is called the Revive Morning and has a miniature bath and shower gel in it. The scent is grapefruit, rosemary and juniper and smells gorgeous. It says that this will last you for 3 showers or baths but I think it would last me about 5 unless you like to really lather up or like a lot of bubbles and this costs £12.


6. I think a candle is a lovely lift gift to pop in someone's stocking now this is a little pricey for a stocking but I think its really, really lovely. Its a Jo Malone candle and my god do they smell amazing. This one is Pomegranate Noir and is my favourite is this miniature candles which they have out at the moment. There's three to this collection, the other two scents are Red Roses and Lemon, Basil and Mandarin. They all smell nice and I think you would definitely be able to find one which you think someone would love. They are £22 but compared to the usual £39 I think its a nice, little present which would be really appreciated if you was a candle lover.

7. Now cosy socks are always an essential in a stocking its just a nice little present that's practically traditional in my household to get a nice new pair of cosy socks. I really like these sock there from Debenhams there £6 for both pairs but currently have 20% so there only £4.80 which is a great price for two pairs. There wintery as they've got snowflakes on the top of the socks and there all fleecy and cosy for them freezing days which are heading our way over the winter months.

8. The Body Shop always have such nice novelty presents at Christmas and this year they have not disappointed! They have these cute little mini cupcake gift sets which are only £5. They come in two different sets the strawberry one which contains strawberry mini heart soap 25g, strawberry shower gel 60ml and 2x crinkle bath lily – red. As well as the Chocomania set which includes Chocomania mini heart soap 25g, Chocomania shower cream 60ml and 2 x crinkle bath lily – orange. These are just nice little additionals to finishong off a stocking.

9.  Caudalie is usually a luxury brand but this Christmas they have brought out some really lovely little gifts. This hand cream trio set costs £12 which I think is really good value. The scents of the creams are Grapevine Honey, Blackcurrant Leaf and Pink Grapefruit. All the scents sound appealing to me and I am dying to try them myself. Miniatures at Christmas are just perfect for you to be able try a few different scents and textures and discover exactly what you like without spending a lot on one bigger product and not liking it.

 

 10. Topshop have brought out these Christmas mini nail varnishes which come in packaging which you can pop on your tree like a bauble. The colours which they come in are Jem (red glitter), Brazil (silver glitter), Dark Knight (blue glitter), and Magpie (gold glitter). They are £5 each and are really nice presents for someone who is a nail varnish lover. I usually like the formula of Topshop nail varnishes they have a good consistency and these are extra glittery for Christmas. These are just perfect for a last minute extra to pop in the stocking to make it extra girly. 

So there we are my favourite ten picks for stocking fillers. I hope you have all found this useful and can take some ideas away with what you want to put in your stockings this year.

Its beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

Lucy
xoxo

All Products mentioned:
http://www.thorntons.co.uk/thumbnail/Chocolate-Toffee-Fudge/Bags-of-Chocolates/pc/2198/2201.uts
http://www.thisworks.com/bestsellers-1/dream-team.html
http://www.boots.com/en/Impulse-Lovely-Little-Tin-Gift-Set_1390117/
http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=1363312
http://uk.spacenk.com/little-bell/MUK200011219.html?start=26&cgid=SPUK20414&pmin=0&srule=By%20Review%20Rating&pmax=25
http://www.jomalone.co.uk/products/3562/For-The-Home/Travel-Candles/index.tmpl
http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_081010746386_-1
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/christmas/for-the-kids/strawberry-mini-cupcake-gift.aspx
http://uk.spacenk.com/hand-cream-trio-set/MUK200011230.html?start=2&q=fragrance&cgid=SPUK101&pmin=10&srule=price-low-to-high&pmax=20
http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/gifts-481/mini-nails-in-jem-2410795?refinements=Price%7b2%7d~%5b0%7c10%5d&bi=1&ps=200

Discovering SpaceNK

I have never actually stepped foot in to a SpaceNK.... I no its absolutely criminal.
I have just never had the need to go in before, I like luxury makeup but I usually just head to Selfridges. However, from all of this Christmas gift guide research my god have I found some beauty's on that site. There is one in Manchester which I have always seen but I have just never been in to. However, next time I am home I am putting it at the top of my list of things to do.

I think that my growing love for the place is due to all the lovely little Christmas gifts that they have on sale at the moment, you can literally buy presents for anyone of any taste in that heavenly shop. The little trinkets and sets that they have on sale are really reasonably priced and they are from well known brands that have good reputation for quality. Usually the prices are expensive every brand that they sell comes with a hefty price tag. Nars, Emma Hardie, Becca and Caudalie are just a few of the brands which they sell. I am excited to start dipping into these all these luxury's and see what all the fuss is really about. They also seem to have some really nice exclusives this year that other shops and company's just don't seem to have.

Oh and another bonus if you don't live in a city which has a SpaceNK there's free delivery online at the moment so there is no reason not to treat yourself or a loved one to something extra special.

All in all a lovely place to pick up some really special presents.

Lucy
xoxo

Satin Bow

I explained in a post last week that I had popped into Superdrug and had a good gander at the new Collection products. I picked up the volume sensation lipstick in Satin Bow (13) and I have honestly been loving it. It's a lovely nude colour which is perfect for autumn. When applied it feels silky and smooth on the lips and the colour is instant with one application. I have however realised that I do have to top up it up if I want it to keep it's colour intensity. But I really think it's a little gem at the price of £2.99.

I think this colour would suit all skintones and is such a lovely natural looking lipstick. I'm definitely going to take advantage of the 3 for 2 offer which is on at Boots and Superdrug at the moment and pick up a few more shades to put to the taste. 

All in all a very lovely lipstick that definitely gets my seal of approval, I love finding little gems like this! 

Lucy 

Xoxo

This Works Sleeping Products

Last year I went and stayed in a lovely hotel for a few days and I am one of those people who always checks out the miniatures that they leave in the bathroom.

I came across the this works sleeping little pack that was on offer. I didn't actually use it whilst I was in the hotel but I brought them home to try. I think I first used these during my exams last year when I was stressed with studying and was really struggling to get a good nights sleep. I seem to go through phrases of using them intensely and then not using them for a while. Well, I am currently in the middle of using them intensely - literally every night.

These miniatures came in a set with the deep calm pillow spray and breathe in, they are both 5ml. They spray smells like lavender and I'm not a massive fan of the smell of lavender but this really smells good on your pillow and really does help me to settle down. Breathe in is a product that you roll onto the pulse points and then your suppose to breathe deeply to help you unwind.

I've some how managed to use the pillow spray a lot more quickly, I guess I must get carried away when I'm spraying it across my pillows and I only have to tiniest bit left. I've already added the set called sleeping patterns to my Christmas list which basically consists of the spray and an oil which I am excited to try. I think I am going to have to repurchased these miniatures this week though to last my until Christmas and I can then use them when I am travelling.

All in all a brilliant brand with excellent products and there not to expensive and I definitely think they are value for money. If you struggle to settle down to sleep then I would 100% recommend you to try these, the brand also consists of other sleeping products which you might find useful.

You can buy the products in Boots and Space:NK. If you want to have a nosy online here is the link and you can also order of the site and it has free delivery at the moment: http://www.thisworks.com/?77tadunit=8a8f29e3&77tadvert=32502368193&77tentrytype=s&77tentry=22nov13.1&gclid=CPC-w86HgLsCFWmWtAodEB4AIQ


Lucy
xoxo