Christmas Gift Guide: For Her

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December already! As soon as Christmas FM goes on air, and the Coca Cola Christmas ad comes on the television, you know it's the beginning of the festive season. With the big day fast approaching, I thought it was about time to pile together a little series of gift guides for you for those in need of a little inspiration. 

I love reading these kinds of posts, I always find something to add to my Christmas list from reading them :) This particular post is dedicated to the lovely lady in your life! Bear in mind, many of these gifts are quite large and excessive gifts, but I couldn't write a Gift Guide post for women without including at least a few extravagant pieces. All of these gifts are items I would absolutely love to receive myself, although I will be posting two more Gift Guides this week featuring gift ideas for him, and stocking fillers or more inexpensive and fun gifts so keep an eye out! 

 1. The Mulberry Willow Tote - I saw a picture of Kim Sears with this tote and absolutely fell for it. It's more sophisticated than the cult Alexa and Bayswater totes from the Mulberry range, and although it is available in various colours, I am always drawn back to this electric purple hue. A beautiful gift for any lady! 

 2. This Works Christmas Deep Sleep Pillow Talk - A lavender scented pillow spray and a stress reliever and relaxation oil make up this little bundle; a lovely gift for the insomniac in your life!

 3. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - First there was 1.. Then 2.. and now 3! The third edition of this classic neutrals palette promises 12 never before seen shadows. A beauty junkie essential. 

 4. Diptyque Candle in Lavender Leaf - A delicious candle from the esteemed Parisian brand Diptique is a beautiful present for the candle and fragrance lover. Available in a huge range of scents, here I've chosen Lavender leaf. 

5. Jo Malone Cologne Collection - A luxe and lavish present in it's entirety. Jo Malone gifts are a little bit extra special. This cologne gift set includes miniatures of five of their famous fragrances. 

6. Givenchy Turnpin Shark Tooth Bracelet - A luxurious accessory and an amazing gift! Givenchy! I would love this bracelet. It's quite a unique piece. I just love it. 

7. Estée Lauder Zodiac Compact - A powder compact from Estée Lauder embossed with a personalised zodiac sign. A lovely little compact! 

8. Marc Jacobs Baker Gold Watch - A watch is such a thoughtful gift for anyone any time of year. But the gold hardware and Marc Jacobs brand is what makes it a little bit more magical! 

                                           

 9. Tom Ford Lipstick in Cherry Lush - This lipstick has secretly been on my own personal list forever! A perfect red for the festive season.

 10. CIAK Pink Daily Diary - For the organiser! A perfect planner to start the new year!

Hope you enjoyed this post :) 

Part two is a Christmas Gift Guide for him coming soon!

 x

The Babyliss Big Hair Styler

Babyliss Big Hair Styler- €60/£45 

Volumising hair tools have been available for yonks. I've had mine for ages, but only recently started using it when I jumped on to the middle parting bandwagon. My hair was in an awkward length phase, past shoulder length but not long enough to have beautiful full and bouncy tendrils a la Kate Middleton or Kim Sears.

I ended up having to get a minor trim, although it ended up being sufficiently more than I had hoped, and I ended up with even shorter hair. To compensate for this, I impulsed cut and asked for a middle parting. I have only ever had a middle parting once in my life; before hitting my teens, so I never really knew how to style it without looking like a Hanson brother.

Enter the Babyliss Big Hair. For me, this has to be used when my hair is 95% dry. Any wetter and it just doesn't work. Essentially, it's a salon blowdry at home. No fancy bristle brushes, no hairdryer attachments, just this.

My hair is slightly layered all around my head, so this affects the overall look, but if I take the time and effort to do it properly, the end result is quite satisfactory. I tend to focus more on the lengths of my hair rather than the roots, so I end up with a more polished look than a 'big hair' look. 

I have seen two other newer 'big hair' products from Babyliss; another 50mm barrel whose only difference is that it includes three temperature settings, and another smaller tool, a 42mm barrel, which would supposedly be perfectly suited to fringes and shorter lengths. Personally, I think one of these tools is enough, so I think I'll stick with my trusty old 50mm.

Overall, I quite like this hair tool, although having to dry my hair with a dryer first, before using this, kind of misses the point of it being a blow dry styler. I may try the Remington Hot Brush next, it seems like the perfect go between tool. Heat and styling, without the blow dry.

 What do you think, have you used this styling tool?

Illamasqua Blaze Lipstick

Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze - €21/£16.50

There's nothing more in your face than a nice bright lipstick. Pow!

I used to have more of a penchant for statement eyes over statement lips, but I eventually came to love a good statement lip; my first notable encounter was with this baby; and possibly remains my favourite lip colour to date. 

I dabbled with the idea of Illamasqua products for the first time last year when I went to London. Illamasqua is a brand scarely available to us here in Ireland which is so disappointing as it's such a beautiful brand. Although Illamasqua products can be purchased online, certain products like foundations and powders are pretty much out of the question due to lack of swatching/colour matching facilities. So I usually opt for lipsticks, polishes and blush. And shadows.

This lipstick, Blaze, is the first I have purchased from the brand. I had high hopes for it as it looks so beautiful and pigmented, but with the inability to swatch, I had no idea of texture, consistency or possible longevity. But I bought it anyway! And it didn't disappoint.

It's quite reminiscent of Topshop's Infrared, but not quite as popping as MAC's Morange. It's quite satiny but matte in texture, and the pigmentation is beautiful. It's not creamy, but slightly dry, so unfortunately I had to prod it numerous times with the lip brush in the hope of getting any lipstick on it. (Note: I always apply with a lip brush!) It is matte, a texture which I loathe, but this is surprisingly non drying for a dry lipstick. 

I sound somewhat negative with my thoughts on this lipstick, but aside from it's matte texture, everything else about this is quite positive. Beautiful colour, amazing pigmentation, and substantially long lasting. The packaging is beautiful too. 

What do you think? Have you tried any Illamasqua products?

x

The Autumn Wardrobe Lust List

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1. I for one never need an excuse to buy new shoes. I saw the Zara Suede Platform Sandal on their website and obviously, I need them. Obviously. Although I can see myself wearing heeled shoe boots this Autumn, I think these may be a sweet little alternative for an evening out. I especially adore the ankle strap detail.

2.The Zara Leather City Bag has a sort of Celine vibe to it. Not as beautiful of course, but the colour is what drew me in. I can see myself wearing alot of purple/oxblood/burgundy over the coming months, and this bag is just delish. 

3. Every Autumn I go for a new jacket/coat, something a little bit lighter than a full on Winter wool coat. The Topshop Soft Black Trench would fit very snugly into my Autumn wardrobe, and I can see myself wearing this alot. I wear black quite a bit already, but this would go with everything.

4. I usually leave white coloured ensembles and accessories at the door when we transition into Autumn, but these Miu Miu Hexagonal Acetate Sunglasses just called to me when I saw them. I love the shape too, and they would add a bit of interest and freshness to an otherwise dreary coloured Autumn outfit. 

5. Everyone and their mother seem to be jumping on the cut out boot bandwagon. And I love them. The New Look Black Cross Strap Cut Out Boots are the nicest ones I've seen so far, and one of the more pocket friendly pairs too. 

6. In my fantasy 'capsule' Autumn wardrobe, these Topshop Burgundy Tailored Turn Up Trouser would be a definite addition. I love the tailored and modern detail of these, they look quite polished and perfect. 

 7. Continuing with the burgundy accessories theme, the River Island Purple Contrast Fedora also tops the list. I've tried this on numerous times trying to convince myself that the Fedora style does in fact suit me, it's so feminine and pretty. 

8. This Topshop Horus Crop top by Sister Jane isn't exactly Autumn inspired, but I adore the little jewels and Egyptian inspired details on it. 

9. I have lusted after a faux fur collar for ages, and never really found one that ticked all the boxes. This Ted Baker Faux Fur Collar however, ticks all the boxes. In reality it's actually quite large, which means cosy and snug. It comes in a nudey beige too, but I think the black would look better with my hair. :)

What are you lusting after this Autumn?

x

The Pretty Pink Lip and Blush Combo

MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup - €17.50/£15 | Illamasqua Powder Blush in Katie - €23/£18 

I don't usually do 'matchy matchy' with my lips and cheeks, but a soft pink on both can look gentle, subtle and effortless. MAC's Creme Cup is a soft cremesheen pink, a very wearable and feminine pink. I love the cremesheen finish on MAC lipsticks, and although I have a multitude of soft candy pinks in my collection, I tend to reach for this alot. I find it is similar to Hue and Patisserie in colour but has a bit more pigment due to it's finish, and seems more substantial on the lips as a result.

I pair this with MAC blushes Dainty and Mocha quite regularly, but I love it with Katie, a soft powder blush by Illamasqua. I adore Illamasqua blushes. They are so pigmented and quite large in the pan, so they most definitely last a long time. Katie is a soft candy baby pink, but comes across more candy like in the pan, and more of a flushed pink colour once applied to the cheek.

Combined, it is quite an effortless and minimal look, providing a bit of colour without going overboard. 

Are there any combinations of products you reach for regularly?

x

The Topshop Printed Trouser.

Trousers - Topshop

Cami - Topshop

My bottom half is definitely not one of my best features. My short stature adds a bit of a hindrance in deciding what to wear from time to time. Skirts and dresses alike need to be the precise length in order to accentuate and emphasise. 

Printed trousers, are usually, for me anyway, a definite no-no. I never really saw the appeal. However, like many Geminis, the decisiveness got the better of me, and I saw these trousers in Topshop and immediately decided that they were for me. 

Incidentally, the pictures do them no justice really, as my bended leg fails to deliver the flattery these trousers actually give. (For a a better-postured picture, have a look on my Instagram here.)

I wore these, very bravely and apprehensively might I add, to a Michelin starred dinner. Dressing for a fine dining meal is daunting enough on it's own, without debuting a new ensemble for the first time in the process. It may not have been the classiest choice, as I felt the teeniest bit of self-consciousness at the fact that this outfit may be a bit 'young'. I bought these for a trip away, and figured that if I didn't wear them, it would have been a complete waste. So I slapped them on and headed to my dinner. 

They are high waisted, but they aren't entirely fitted; they droop a bit on the bum, thigh and hip area, and provide a more bootleg style than skinny style on the leg hem. In other words, they're a bit on the loose side. Now this isn't because I bought a size too big, because they're a perfect fit on the waist, but it may be because of my awkward leg shape as previously mentioned.

I had to wear these with heels because flats would have a) made it casual and not very appropriate and b) abbreviated the length of my leg further. The pattern of these trousers is more summery that Autumn, but the monochrome detail adds a darker factor.

Overall I quite like the simplicity of these trousers, but at the same time they exhibit a somewhat intricate and more ornate characteristic. I would definitely try to dress these up more than down, limiting my wear of them to nights out.

In other news, I got my hair 'done', which basically meant a full head of highlights for me, but my roots are still slightly visible in the right  wrong light. I also braved it and opted for a middle parting, which on some days makes me look like a Hanson brother, but looks semi-ok when I whip out the Babyliss Big Hair Styler to try and achieve a more polished look. But I'm getting used to it. :)

What do you think of the printed trouser?

x

The Little White Dress.

Dress - Love Clothing via Asos

Shoes - H&M

Necklace - Second Female

In the summer it's all about little dresses for me. Light, floaty and bright, it's safe to say I pretty have a dress in nearly every colour. And when it's hot, I adore wearing white. 

This little Asos number has seen it's fair share of wear the past few weeks with all the warm weather we've been having, it's one of those staples that I always come back to, and that I love wearing. It's fabric makes it so light and wearable in warm weather, and the colour is just so clean and fresh. It's the simplicity of this dress that I love. No faffing with pattern or embellishment, it is what it is. 

 It's main negative characteristic is that the neckline fabric droops a bit too much for my liking so it either has to be pinned or belted to avoid exposing oneself. That minor detail aside, the only other qualm I have with this dress is that it creases like a bitch. A bit of last minute ironing never killed anyone, but when I'm rumbling for something to wear, alot of the time this staple white dress comes to mind and I tend to groan with displeasure because I know it most probably has to be ironed a la minute. And then it will probably crease again five minutes later. But it's ok. My love for this dress cancels out nearly all unfavourable attributes I associate with it.

It's a staple. Simple, clean cut, fresh. I'm sold. I feel very dainty and feminine in it's floaty conformation.

I recently wore this on a meander up the mountains, (yes! I practically live in the mountains!), and despite it's light weight, when we strolled down at sunset I didn't feel a chill whatsoever. The fact that it's not strappy around the neckline makes it a more substantial dress, and feels more appropriate in chillier times of day. 

Unfortunately I can't see myself wearing tights with this dress in the Summer to Autumn transition, it's brightness just makes me feel like summer and I don't want to decimate it's summery nostalgia by incorporating it into my Winter wardrobe. Even though I love these types of dresses, I am getting very excited about the prospect of cosy nights in, woolly hats, leather boots and big furry Winter coats. :) 

 Hope you are all well!
 :)