If you're still looking for a beautiful Christmas gift for a special someone who loves their makeup, or you're just into self-gifting and you want to splash out on some new beauty items to complete your look over the festive social season, step this way.
I've added a few gorgeous things to my collection lately, take a peek and maybe shop for yourself...
Honey Belle White Jade Facial Roller | £26.00
The fashion for crystals and their supposed healing powers shows no signs of slowing down. From quartz infused water bottles to natural crystal jewellery - the fad for their healing powers is everywhere.
It's nothing new to me as my mother is a huge hippy and I grew up carrying around the rose quartz she gave me every day. I'm actually not sure I buy into them having a higher power, but I do know that they make a great material for a facial roller.
I suffer from a lot of puffiness under my eyes and around my jawline, and looking for a solution eventually led me to videos about facial lymphatic drainage massage.
It's something that really makes a difference for me (when I remember to do it) and this white jade roller tool just makes it much easier to do that.
You apply a little facial oil and then sweep the roller over certain pressure points in the face. If your eyes and your nose start to water, you're doing it right!
The result should be a depuffed, smoother face and a glowing complexion. Facial massage is also said to increase the elasticity of skin, reduce the appearance of pores, boost your overall collagen levels and eliminate toxins.
Not bad for a pretty crystal!
Foreo Luna Play | £29.00
I've been a fan of the Foreo Luna device for many years, and in that time I've owned a couple of them.
After dropping my last one in the shower and damaging it, this is my third one, and this time I went for the Play model, which is smaller and a lot less costly than the regular Luna device.
With 8000 sonic pulsations per minute, this little tool delivers a powerful deep clean through it's silicone nodules. Dirt, oil and makeup residue melts away like a dream, and using the tool is super relaxing.
Over time, the Luna Play works to refine skin texture, brighten and tighten and even out the complexion - plus, unlike rival facial cleansing tools like the Clarisonic, the lack of brush bristles means that it stays hygienic.
This model isn't rechargeable, it just has a sealed battery unit that lasts for around 100 uses and at the same size as a cotton pad it's really portable as well if you're off on your travels.
Charlotte Tilbury Starry Eyes To Hypnotise Eyeshadow Palette | £60.00
How stunning is this? A new release from my very favourite makeup brand always gets my heart beating faster, and Christmas is the perfect time to layer on a little more sparkle.
This was first released as a limited edition run a couple of years ago, and I'd recently seen a few amazing looks using it, so when they relaunched it for Christmas 2019 I was all about it!
As always with CT eye looks, the hard part has been done for you - the shades are nearly grouped up into complementary looks.
There is Happy Glow Eyes, centred around super flattering gold tones, Love Glow which features soft, romantic shades - rose gold, deep cherry and incandescent copper.
Then there's Dream Glow with dusky emerald and olive tones for a modern take on the smokey eye, and finally Seduce Glow with hypnotic shades of midnight blue and silver.
Basically, it's everything you need for party eye looks with a shot of luminous shimmer, and being the usual amazing CT quality of course each shade is beautifully blendable and highly pigmented.
I'm really looking forward to using this throughout the festivities.
Remington Air Plates Travel | £21.00
Oh the horror, my GHD Platinums died a death the other week. As I use them on pretty much a daily basis, I was devastated when the red light of doom appeared and they refused to heat up.
GHDs used to last for ages - my first pair I had for years - but they must have changed the components because they seem to give up the ghost when they're conveniently just outside warranty these days.
I have found a place which does repairs, so I'm considering sending them off there, but if I had to get a new pair, I wanted to wait until the January sales. I needed a less expensive stop gap, and a trawl of online reviews for the best inexpensive straighteners led me to the Remington Air Plates.
The world's first stylers to feature 'floating' ceramic plates, the theory is that you get a more even form of temperature control which damages your hair less.
The contact between hair strands and the plates is maximised, which takes away the need to repeatedly go over sections of hair, giving quicker styling and smoother results.
Air Plates come in both a standard version, and this travel size. I've had travel straighteners in the past and they've always been absolutely rubbish. These are different, because they feature the exact same plates as the standard size. The body of the tool is the same, but they've chopped the handle length, so there's no compromise on quality.
I loved this idea, because not only are they ideal if you're going away, it makes them less bulky to store in a drawer at home - and they still give a great performance.
My reasoning was that even if I get my GHDs repaired, I can still use these when I go away or as backups. They feature black titanium ceramic plates and a sleek white body, so they look great.
On the travel version, the on/off switch also locks the plates together for travel, and there is a rubberised sleeve so you can pack them quickly. The only thing I would really have liked for these is a travel case.
Performance wise, I'm impressed! They don't quite glide as smoothly through the hair as my GHDs, but they do straighten or curl very quickly and effectively.
Because the plates as suspended, the outer casing remains cooler so you can grab onto it when you're styling, although you do have to take care of steam rising from the plates.
Overall, the shorter handle doesn't affect how easy they are to use. I really like these - they're well designed, look good and are effective, so if you're after a travel hot tool or one to live in your gym bag or desk drawer, they're amazing.
My GHDs are nicer to use, purely because they glide through much more easily, but at only £21 these are an amazing budget option and they've been sorting my locks out every day since I got them, and will be a brilliant option for travel.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light | £34.00
One survival trick I've found being a working mama is to be very routine in the products I use on a daily basis.
I love trying new things, but I also need to have a daily routine that works without me putting much thought in. Because of this I've been using IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream as my daily foundation for ages now.
But after seeing overwhelming amounts of love for Estee Lauder Double Wear Light, I've given in and decided to try it. So many people describe this as their holy grail base, and although I adore the IT Cosmetics foundation it is quite sheer.
I wanted something that wasn't heavy, but gave more of a perfected look and this kept coming up time and again. Whenever I've spotted someone whose skin looks absolutely immaculate and asked them what they use, it has always been traditional Double Wear, but something about the free pour glass bottle and super high coverage didn't quite do it for me, so I've never tried it.
This formula is a lighter take in a more hygienic, neater squeeze tube but still described as a 'life proof' formula which resists sweat, humidity, water and weather.
A softly diffused matte, it contains blurring pigments to soften the look of fine lines and pores. It's oil free and infused with a shot of Hyaluronic Acid to keep skin plump and soft.
There is SPF10 in there too, but that's not really good enough and the only thing that lets this down. I always apply a separate high factor though, so it's not the end of the world.
There are so many rave reviews pointing to the amazing coverage, lightweight feel and durability of this, whereas my usual base definitely melts away by lunchtime, so I'm looking forward to being a bit more polished with this!
Many people refuse to use anything else, and I can totally see why, although the stuff is very expensive for what it is.
I ordered online with a 25 % Black Friday discount to take the sting off and used the fabulous Findation website to colour match myself to the shade Desert Beige, which is a good match.
I'm hoping this is going to live up to the hype!
Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot - Groundwork | £16.50
Talking of daily must-haves, this is definitely on my list. I use it every single day and it's one of those items that I panic to run low on.
A durable, highly pigmented cream colour, this is a really great chuck on and go eye look or can be layered up with other shadows really well, but actually my main love for this product is how good it is at contouring!
This taupe brown shade is just right to create a convincing shadow, unlike a lot of bronzers which are way too orange. Also it really stays in place.
I take some on a flat foundation brush and use it to carve out some cheekbones, define my jawline and eye crease, and sculpt my nose and it's super quick and easy to blend, but it also stays put really well.
It's become a pillar of my quick everyday makeup look as it's a great multi-tasker which always delivers, and I honestly couldn't be without it now.
Mac Prep + Prime Fix Plus Pinklite | £18.50
Do you use a setting spray? They’ve become a part of my routine, mainly because I don’t really have time throughout the day to touch up my makeup, so I need it to be a one-and-done sort of deal.
I’ve tried lots of different ones, but I always come back to Mac Fix Plus. Something about the smell really calms me. I find it stops my makeup looking too mask-like if I’ve been a little heavy handed getting ready on dark mornings, and gives a really nice dewy finish as well as putting my makeup on lockdown for the day.
About a year ago, Mac launched two versions of the Fix Plus spray with added shimmer - Pinklite and Goldlite both contain pearlescent particles to give skin a glow.
The effect is nice and subtle - full on spangly disco alien is NOT my vibe - and I like to think it perks up my tired mum skin and makes me a look a little more awake.
Over the summer I used the Matte version of this, and I also like the Fresh Glow Setting Spray from Beauty Pie which I tend to rotate with this. But what could be better than a little illumination in the depths of winter?
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Geranium & Neroli | £16.15
There are some products in your life that are worth the spend, and in my case Elasticizer is really the only thing that gets my hair to behave how I want.
So although I’m forever trying to find a more purse friendly alternative, I keep coming back to it, especially when there are occasions coming up that I want to look and feel my best for.
The perfect storm of pregnancy hormones changing my hair type, balayage and an addiction to hot tools means that my hair is very dry, snaps off and gets tangled very easily.
This luxurious pre-shampoo treatment sorts all that out and gives me back silky, smoothed out locks. It makes my hair far more manageable and just generally gives it a complete makeover.
This version is scented with neroli, geranium, lavender, rose and orange oils and features a pretty floral artwork on the packaging. It's the gift of good hair in a tube.
Kate Spade Bon Voyage Scented Candle | £28.00
Ok, so it isn’t strictly beauty, but a gorgeous scented candle is definitely part of my wind-down routine.
The little slice of me time I get tends to be a Sunday night bath, and I go all out with candles, face masks - the works!
With work on our master suite almost completed, I’m really excited about christening the bathtub in the ensuite, so I decided to treat myself to a new candle as well.
This immediately put me in mind of holidays, with it's scent of coconut milk, white sands and orange flower, and I love the white ceramic holder, which I will definitely repurpose when the candle is gone.
This would make a lovely present for someone or just a really great self-gift!
Tom Ford lipstick in Night Mauve | £40.00
It wouldn’t be winter without red and berry lipsticks making an appearance, would it?
I was browsing Tom Ford lipsticks, wanting to give myself a little treat, and although I started off looking at the reds, I was drawn to this unusual colour instead.
I have quite a big collection of lipsticks, but I definitely don’t have anything this colour, and I adore purple toned lips. It’s a warm, medium-dark plum shade that is very wearable, even with heavier eye makeup, when a red tone can look a little too full-on.
Imagine this paired with golden shimmer or a chocolate smoke on your eyes - wouldn’t it look amazing?
The Tom Ford lipstick formula uses a blend of soja seed extract, Brazilian muru muru butter and flower oils to achieve it's ultra-creamy texture, and there are specially treated colour pigments to give a luminous finish.
I love this sophisticated mauve shade - a little more of a grown-up, luxury take on plum. Beautiful!
So that's my little slice of festive beauty - have you tried any of these products? Will you be gifting any of them this Christmas? Let me know!
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