Benefit Candy Countdown Advent Calendar

HAPPY 1ST OF DECEMBER!!!!

Can you tell i'm excited? To be honest, i've been counting down since August. After finishing my placement with Good Housekeeping, I was perhaps given the best leaving present any beauty addict could ask for: The Candy Countdown Advent Calendar from Benefit. Everyone who follows this blog will know that I am a massive Benefit fan, and although I probably own 99% of their products, who's going to say no to a fresh set of mini's? With last year's calendar selling out in minutes, I can't tell you how excited I was for December to arrive.

Yes, I am aware that the calendar has now sold out (Apparently they were gone in 34 seconds - whaaaat?!), but I still wanted to put up a post so other Benefit lovers could admire how pretty this product is. I will say now I am really disappointed at the quality of the photos and I apologise for the horrible yellow tinge that I haven't got a clue how to alter in Photoshop. Rob's been really ill and the only time I got to take the photos was in the morning and I didn't want to wake him up to take them (The bedroom is where we get the most light!) so I had to make do with the living room. 

This year's calendar is part of their adorable Sweet Shoppe theme, with the actual calendar resembling a little (Well, I say that, but it's actually ....cm tall!) house. Behind each door is a mini version of some of their hero products, alongside some of their skincare, along side some non beauty bits like hairbands and a doodle pad. It retailed at £60, although they are currently selling on Ebay for well over £100. To be honest, £60 is such a massive bargain as full-sized versions of this product total at ..., and even sets that contain 5 mini's total at £26.50 so with that being said, you're making a £35 saving with 18 products! Amazing. 

The set contains:
 “That gal” | 7.5ml
The POREfessional | 7.5ml
Benetint | 2.5ml
High beam | 2.5ml
Chachatint | 2.5ml
Posietint | 2.5ml
Stay Flawless mini
They’re Real! mini
Ultra plush lip gloss in 'dandelion' mini
Ultra plush lip gloss in 'A-lister' mini
Ultra plush lip gloss in 'fauxmance' mini
BADgal Lash mini
Stay Don’t Stray in 'light/medium' mini
Fakeup in '02 medium' mini
It’s Potent! eye cream mini
Total Moisture facial cream mini
Ooh La Lift mini
Watt’s Up! mini

And some non-beauty goodies: 
Beauty sticky notes
Doodle pad
Heart-shaped paperclips
Pinky, polka-dot hair tie
Elastic hair band with bow charm
Metallic silvery hair tie

For a moment I was slightly disappointed that the whole 24 days isn't packed full of beauty bits, but either way it's still really exciting! One of the other thing's i've noticed is that they've left out some of the bits that I thought were quite special from last year's calendar, like a mini Hoola or perhaps a mini Sugarbomb. 

I won't spoil it for everyone, but I thought i'd just show a picture of what was behind the first door..:

PAPERCLIPSSSSSSS. Slightly anti-climactic, but there you have it.

Basically, this has to be one of the best Christmas presents i've ever gotten.. and it wasn't even intended to be one! Beauty calendars are definitely the way forward. Don't get me wrong, I love having chocolate every day, but nothing beats getting a little of your favourite thing to brighten up a dreary December morning every day for a month! Did anyone manage to get their hands on a beauty calendar, or is there a brand that you want to release one next year? Let me know! :) 

Christmas Decoration Obsession..Continued!

Star decoration, 99p and heart decoration, £2.99 - Sam and Sebastian

I went into town today to get a birthday present for my flatmate, and came across this gorgeous little shop called Sam and Sebastian. As soon as you walk in, you look like you've walked into a country cottage - it's truly gorgeous. All the handmade decorations sold are hung from a tree, with worn white cupboards filled with vintage teapots, homemade candles and personalized bunting. Everything is just so so sweet that I had to take advantage of the individual decorations and pick up a couple. What I like about these is that they are classic. No bulk-purchase of plastic baubles from the local supermarket, these look specially selected for a traditional tree. I'm definately going back and getting myself some gorgeous bunting to hang from my ceiling.

Seriously guys, check out Sam and Sebastian here or find them in the old Bournemouth Arcade.

November Obsession: Christmas Jumpers!

(1) Fairisle Knit Jumper, £24.99, New Look (2) Hedgehog Jumper, £35, Chelsea Girl for River Island (2) Navy all-over Pattern Jumper, £40, Topman

Nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit more than festive Christmas jumpers! That is why I had to go and have a little look around for the best jumpers on offer :) Here's my latest jumper:

Reindeer Jumper, £12, Primark Men's

What i've discovered is that the best christmas jumpers seem to be in the men's sections of popular shops. I found this one in the men's section in Primark, and even though the smallest size is a tiny bit baggy, if you like jumpers that keep you all cosy and warm then it's perfect!
I absolutely love the other jumpers from Topman, RI and New Look, especially the hedgehog print one! They're perfect because if you don't feel like dressing up you can throw one of these on with a pair of a leggings, and the festive print will cheer you right up! I'll definately be expanding my collection, Primark is definitely going to be raided first .. £12 is such a bargain!

Anyone know of any other shops that sell gorgeous Christmas jumpers?

November Obsession: Accessorize Christmas Decorations!

Ever since I can remember, everyone has always been envious of my family's christmas tree. My mum has been collecting one-off christmas decorations every year since she was about 16, so nothing on our tree is the same. So over the past few years i've started doing the same. And i've found that one of the best places to get uniquely gorgeous christmas decs is none other than Accessorize!

Every year they do different designs that look homemade, with different fabrics, buttons, ribbons and colours. I cannot get enough of the two I got today:

Heart - £4, 'S' Initial - £3.50

What I love about these, is that I can actually hang them all year round. Of course i'll put them on my christmas tree, but at the moment they're hanging on my pinboard and don't look out of place. I think the beading on the heart is stunning and looks like I could have made it. There were so many more in there, but i'd thought i'd take it easy on my spending today! But I will definately adding more to my collection. When I get home i'll upload photos of my other unique decs.

So if you want a unique christmas tree this year, look around for one-off decorations. They don't have to match, and can be any colour. I believe the more colourful the decs the better, so why limit yourself to the traditional red and green?

If anyone knows of any websites or shops that sell unique/handmade christmas decorations, leave me a comment :)

My Favourite Christmas Nail Polish!

Nail Polish in Shade 36, Accessorize - £4

If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will. I was in London on Monday doing an interview, and decided to browse Accessorize in Waterloo Station to pass the time before my train arrived. I usually don't like going into Accessorize, as I tend to forget that I have a budget and buy anything I can get my hands on. I found this amongst the dull shades by the till (To be honest, they were that dull but in comparison to this colour..), and for £4 I could not say no.

I had to use two coats to completely cover the nail, and each coat took just over a minute to dry which is rare for such an inexpensive polish. What I love most about this shade, is that what you see is what you get. Although my nail painting skills aren't the best since my nails became short, you can see that the colour on my nails is exactly the same as it is in the bottle.

Whenever I look at my fingers I instantly think of Christmas, which is enough to cheer me up any day :) All in all, a wise purchase and I will definitely be going back to Accessorize for more colours.