Making A Gingerbread House

Making A Gingerbread House

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Today I've got of a bit of a belated Christmas post, although it is still the festive season. On Christmas Eve, my boyfriend and I decided to make a gingerbread house and decorate it. Luckily, IKEA sold pre-made gingerbread pieces that we Aidan structured into a sturdy ginger home followed by myself making the roof and building pretty, decorating everything with icing sugar, coloured designer icings and lots of sweets.

Here's the creating process through photos...

It was really fun making a Christmas/Seasonal Themed food post. I'm hoping to make this an annual thing; also, I may begin to upload baking posts in the coming year. If you like these styled posts, let me know.

Most importantly, this post was a #holidaycollab with some of my lovely girl blogger friends I collaborated with earlier on in the year. If you want to take a look at their festive posts (fashion, food etc) then click on their links below :

Holly

Annabel

Yasmin

Ellie

Frances

Claire

Maddie

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas - leave me a comment letting me know what you got!

Lots of love

Top 5 Christmas Fashion Gifts for Men | Under £50

Top 5 Christmas Fashion Gifts for Men | Under £50

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1. Ted Baker Wallet & Cardholder Gift Set - £50.00

This gift set is perfect for guys looking for a smart way to carry around their cash and cards. Guys rarely change wallents on their own and often wait until they're literally FALLING apart, which not only looks rubbish but isn't a great way to secure you belonging on a night out. The Ted Baker leather set is made from real leather and includes gold text for the logo - really smart! There's multiple slots to store cash and store cards, plus the handy card holder that also forms part of the gift set is a neat way to leave the cash at home. The box looks great too and is easy to wrap.

Available from ASOS

2. Ralph Lauren 3-Pack Socks Gift Box - £42.00 

The classic Christmas gift for guys. But this time from a brand they love. This 3 pack collection of socks from Ralph Lauren is great for guys looking for a stylish start to any outfit. Made from 79% cotton, these feel super soft and certainly worth the price tag. Once again the gift box is also really stylish.

Available from Selfridges

3. Jack Wills Navy Polo - £39.50

This is a classic navy polo from Jack Wills - one of my favourite British brands. This is described as regular fit so I'd go a size down if your guy likes to wear slim fit tees like in the the image below. These are 100% cotton and actually really good value for less than £40. A guy can never have too many polos and these are also available in a wide range of colours and style. A must-have.

Available from Asos

4. Red Plaid Scarf - £18.00

Urban Outfitters is one of my favourite places for shopping on the high street for some exclusive brands. However, for this gift guide I've actually chosen on of their own brand products which is this awesome red plaid scarf. It's incredible value for just £18.00 but also great quality. It's made from acrylic so you're not going to get the same feel as a £100+ Ralph Lauren scarf (or the big brand name) but this still feels great and the red plaid pattern is super stylish for the winter months.

Available from Urban Outfitters

5. Penfield Conway Beanie - £30.00

Another pick from Urban Outfitters. This Penfield navy beanie is a mixture of acrylic and cotton so again you're not getting the best fabrics but for £30 this is as good as it gets in terms of quality and finish. The Penfield logo is also present on the folder cuff at the front. Teamed with one of Penfield's infamous jackets this makes the perfect Christmas gift.

Available from Urban Outfitters

~Guest Post by Matt Maidment~

Twitter : @mattmaidment

Email : mattmaidmentblog@gmail.com

What I Got For My Birthday 2015

What I Got For My Birthday 2015

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On Friday the 4th of September, it was my birthday and indeed was spoilt again by my wonderful family, friends and boyfriend. I'm very appreciative of all my gifts and this post is not in any way boasting about my fortune; I just wanted to share with you all my gorgeous new makeup bits and bobs, some fashion items and other things I received over the course of my birthday weekend. Some of the presents below, I bought with birthday money as I preferred going to London and chosing some things I wanted myself. Let's get started...

Makeup

My bestfriend is an honest God for buying me Urban Decay's latest Naked Smoky Palette release. I was so happy and overwhelmed that she got this for me, as they are pretty darn pricey. I'm in love with the colours and names, as always! Cannot wait to review this in the near future; URBAN DECAY are an honest blessing to the makeup world.

The left purchase was one I made my own in London; I've been wanting to try the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils for too long now and I'm so glad to finally have my hands on one. The pigmentation is insane and I'm a sucker for crayon-styled lip products - they really aid appliance, I think. My boyfriend was so sweet and bought me this Nars Eyeshadow that was out of stock a couple weeks back when I wanted to buy it in London. Nars Callisto is a gorgeous icy silver/pink shade that will perfect in the winter months.

Mac's Mehr seems to be a new craze recently?! Well, from what I've seen over instagram and youtube, a lot of people are hyping of this MAC number. I thought this would be great for sixth form as it is a neutral, classy pink/mauve shade. This is also another purchase of my own from Selfridges, I just couldn't leave it, could I?!

Another friend, Karis, was absolutely fabulous and gifted me these two Urban Decay products. Urban Decay are possibly my favourite high end brand, along with Mac and Nars, and I was so happy to receive these beauties for my birthday. On the left is a recent want of mine - Daisy from Wild Flower Makeup uploaded a review on this and I couldn't help but swoon over this popping purple colour (BITTERSWEET). Additionally, I've become an avid lover of these eyeshadow (see my recent purchase here. A pretty space grey silver with glitters running throughout (MUSHROOM).

Jess, another close friend of mine, obviously listened well too when I mentioned my lust for Mac's Nightmoth Liner. I didn't have any dark lip liners so I struggled to pull off dark lips all night long. Thanks to Jess, I don't have to worry about my dark lippies smearing/cracking over my lip liner throughout the night. 

When in Superdrug, I noticed many a deal so what other can one do but to take advantage?! I decided to nab this very wanted foundation when it had been reduced to £10 this week. The finish of this is amazing and very good for people like me who love a full coverage.

Jess very kindly bought me this second gift too. She was very thoughtful and matched Revlon's Miami Fever Lip Lacquer to my very bright Mac Lady Danger. These would look incredible together; a hot glossy lip would look insane in the evening. 

Other Beauty

Aidan also bought me this Body Shop product from one of their new ranges. A woman wiped a bit 
on my hand outside the store and I was woo'ed at the scent and softness. This is a fabulous moisturizer for both the face and body; I can't wait to be using this throughout Winter when everything seems to dry up.

Garnier Micellar Water and Eye Makeup Remover minis were extra additions to my superdrug basket. Everyone always talks about the micellar water so I thought I would give it a go - makeup wipes really irriate and redden my face. Time for a change, eh? I will be sure to let you all know how I get on!

A long-term friend came round on my birthday and gave me a present which I thought was super sweet. She gave me the loveliest set of Jack Wills fragrances..looking forward to trying them out!

Fashion

GREY JUMPER - H&M 

PINK SATIN BLOUSE - H&M

BLUE AND WHITE PINSTRIPED PINAFORE - URBAN OUTFITTERS

LONG TUNIC WHITE TEE - URBAN OUTFITTERS

BURGUNDY TURTLE NECK DRESS - URBAN OUTFITTERS

As seen in the first image of this post, I also bought a new school bag from Wallis in BHS. I loved the basic colours, making it universal, so it is very easy to match to every outfit. Ironically, I adored the grey snake print, considering I'm absolutely terrified of snakes - I HAVE A PHOBIA!!!

Miscellaneous

Another thoughtful idea from my very-loved boyfriend were these two books. I love how qwerky and different the books are in Urban Outfitters and these two were the best picks. The one on the left sounds so interesting and I can't wait to read all the different feelings and hopefully relate to the author. 'THE GOLDEN RULES OF BLOGGING' will be a great late night read to keep my blog posts in ship shape. Thank you Aidan <3

Megan thought up this great idea to buy me a brownie baking mix in a jar. If you didn't already know, brownies are my absolute favourite and the jar just makes it so much better; who knows what I'll store in it once I've made the delicious treats?!

Finally, my boyfriend's mum was so so kind to buy me a new pandora charm for my bracelet. This has my birthstone - Sapphire - in it and I can't love it anymore that I already do!

My final thing I couldn't quite photograph was the main present from Aidan. He bought me a MUJI aroma diffuser with wonderful scents to fill my room with and help me relax. The beautiful smells could easily send me off to sleep and most definitely will help me with the stress of A levels over the next two years! Oh, I'll also start my driving lessons soon as I've just turned 17..aaarrghhh!

Thank you for reading, sorry it was a long one today :-)

Lots of love

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum // Review

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum // Review

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Being a lover of all things pretty and floral, I was delighted to receive the combination in the form of a bow-tied, luxurious bottle crafted by the people at Dior. My boyfriend gifted me this little glass-encased beauty to celebrate our 2 years of being together - he does treat me well!

MISS DIOR EAU DE PARFUM is a sweet scented fragrance, with warm notes of sandalwood, spice (+ all things nice), that doesn't come cheap at £70 for a 50ml bottle. Despite the extortionate price boundary, a single spray of this sophisticated odour can evoke a sensual, elegant touch to any girl's outfit.  This perfume could possibly be my favourite accessory of the year; it keeps me smelling wonderful from day to night - without having to spritz more than once! The overall scent given off can make you feel refreshed during the morning and classy in the evenings. I am just in love with the overall effect this perfume has on me, my body and the people surrounding me.

The fragrance is said to represent freedom and seduction; the perfume essentially being created for 'elegant and spirited young women in love'. They have to be hinting at me, right?! Anyway, the fragrance is composed of some many wonderful substances that develop into an array of smells hour by hour. Starting off with a prelude of sharp citrus scents that blossom into a variety of floral numbers. As the hours progress, the smell descends into a soft, noble musk that lingers on your clothing until washed. 

Overall, I am completely thrilled to have this fragrance in my collection. I've never owned a perfume from Dior and I've had a wonderful experience. Here's to many more deluxe Dior aromas in the future!

What are your favourite perfumes and scents?

Love

~ Prom 2015 ~

~ Prom 2015 ~

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On the 27th of June 2015, myself and fellow pupils of my school celebrated PROM after a very exhausting and longsome exam season. I had such an enjoyable day, both getting ready and at the event so I thought I would share the night through copious photos and an account of the evening. 

First off, picking my dress was the ultimate obstacle. I had an idea in mind so variation of dresses was a no-go for me - very silly if you ask me, always keep an open mind. Anyway, I was obviously having a lucky day when I came across the most sensational, elegant dress I've ever seen in my life (photos above). I instantly fell in love with the silk falling material, the way the bottom hit the ground in a soft pink pool and the intricately designed jewels and scattered array of beads sewed onto the top half of the dress. 

          

Makeup was the next task I had to tackle. I opted for a full coverage face, as I knew a lot of photos were to be taken. I paired the Mac Studio Fix Fluid with my new Nars Concealer and they worked a treat; further setting them in place with the infamous Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Eyes were the most important focus in my Prom look - I purchased the Mac Kitschmas pigment after seeing many beautiful swatches online. The overall effect was gorgeous and left me with the prettiest pink glittery lid - I also wore a pair of Eylure lashes in No 70 which were super natural. Finally, after adding extra definition to the face with a little Estee Lauder bronzer, Makeup Revolution blush and Bobbi Brown highlight, it was time for lips. YSL 01 was applied to my lips and blotted using powder to create a soft and subtle matte effect. 

My hair was styled beforehand by an amazing hairdresser. She created a gorgeous rose-shaped bun on the lower part of my head, gripped pearly slides around the edge and left natural curls to fall down the side of my face.

Earlier on in the week, I went to a salon with my bestie Karis (in the navy dress) to get our nails done. I chose square-shaped with silver glitter to match the detailing on my dress, whereas Karis chose oval-shaped and navy-glitter to match hers. 

Dress check. Nails check. Hair check. Makeup Check. All was done so nothing was left to do but take lots of glamorous piccies with my best friends. Passing time awaiting our dates to arrive, we took hundreds of pictures and had a bit of girly time before the boys came. 

After many selfies later, the boys arrived and welcomed us each with the prettiest corsages ever. Aidan was so sweet and bought me the most amazingly matched piece to match my dress - bless him!

The boys then joined us and our parents went crazy again with the whole camera clicking as many more photos were taken. 

             

              

We all travelled separately so Aidan and I made our way back to my house. Guess what? Our families kept clicking away at their phones and cameras again, taking lots of photos of myself and my beautiful prom date. Our car arrived and we had a swift, smooth journey to our event destination.

The event was held in a local spa hotel and the inside was decorated according to the hollywood theme. There was a red carpet and ropes welcoming us at the entrance and colour coordinated balloons/decor inside the venue too. Each table had balloons, sparkles, cupcakes and sweets - all maintaining the red and silver theme. There was also a photo booth in which my friends, boyfriend and I took stupid and formal pictures in as well.

The night got increasily better as it went on, with everyone dancing and having fun together on the dance floor. It was such a nice atmosphere - everyone who I've spent the last 5 years with getting along and creating positive memories. My bestie Jess also won prom queen - WOOOOO, GO JESS <3

Did you celebrate a prom this year? What colour was your dress? 

Love