CHRISTMAS ON A BUDGET

Tis the season to be jolly; Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year, the opportunity to come together with loved ones, exchange gifts and relieve yourself of the stresses throughout the year. Whether you are having a large or small gathering, Christmas is truly magical. Remember however, Christmas is not all about the costs, you are able to have a beautiful and luxurious or homely christmas on a budget and here's some tips and ideas how.

HE'S MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

It's important to always make a list of who you are buying your gifts for and the types of things they like as well as dislike. This makes it easier when you are buying gifts for them as you already have an idea what you are going to purchase, as well as avoiding the inevitable unnecessary purchases which will undoubtably save your money. 

If you set an overall budget for your gifts, as well as then breaking that down for individual people. This will allow you to spend a set amount you know you can afford or pay back rather than spending frivolously and once again necessarily. Don't forget that it is not about the cost of the item more the thought and meaning behind a gift. 

Once you have brought items or ordered them, it is always important to write it down on your list and include the price to make sure you are keeping on budget as well as buying everyone on your list an item. You can create this list either on paper or if you find it easier to carry around while shopping why not write it up on your phone or tablet. 

                                                    ♥

BUY ONLY WHAT IS NECESSARY

It is extremely easy to get lost in the sparkle of christmas and realise you have over-brought and overspent, but hey its okay its christmas right? Wrong, it is important to buy people things dedicated to their personal taste or likes. If you are very broad with your purchases then quite often you may find 'that the pair of socks' you brought, have already been brought by someone else, or even worse, the receiver will dislike their present. 

It is far easier to buy personal gifts for people you know opposed to those you may not know as well. However remember your on a budget so those smaller gifts are just that, smaller, therefore spend less. This is not offensive in any way. A gift is a gift and many people will be happy to just receive a little present such as a box of chocolate or a nice christmas plant.

                                                     ♥

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEALS

There are many deals and discounts around christmas time such as 3 for 2 and other percentages off as well as some online shops offering free shipping. These can save you lots of money as you may have been buying three gifts and you find out you can get one for free; best of all buy them online without having to face the shops for free! Remember the other rules with this as you may get taken in by the 3 for 2 deal and buy purely for the deal, this is bad as you will end up necessarily buying. 

A good example of a 3 for 2 deal taking place is in Boots where they sell a wide range of products from beauty to electrical to gift days therefore you can buy for a range of people and receive several items for free saving money. You will also earn points if yo own a free Boots loyalty card which then equates to money you can spend in store which could mean more gifts for free or being able to buy other items later on in the year as the points do not expire which is a mega bonus.

                                                     ♥

 RECYCLE AND PLAN AHEAD

Planning ahead is very important at christmas time in more ways than one. You can either plan ahead and buy presents throughout the year (although this will mean to write your list early on and keep on top of your budget). This method means that you can take advantage of deals taking place for longer than just the month of December and save by doing so.You can also recycle those unwanted gifts you have been given to someone who would want the gift. However with this you must remember to not tell the person who gave you the gift or the person you are giving the gift to as it could be offensive on both counts. Also make sure that you have removed and incriminating evidence such as names tags or price labels which may still be lingering on the item. If the item is food, unless recently given this is unwise as the product may be out of date and therefore unusable to anyone else.

I would love to hear any other tips or tricks to help out with spending and christmas ideas,

Disclaimer:
I have not been sponsored to mention any of the products of brands above and all of the opinions are my own.

I apologise for not posting for a few months, unfortunately i have been without a Mac and uploading on an iPhone with edits is very difficult. On top of this I was going through a difficult time with a past relationship. I can assure you that updates will be up to date and regular now.

Have a very merry Christmas Everyone!

♥

MAC foundation overview

If you are new to mac, the prospect of choosing one of their many foundations all with different promises can be quite a daunting prospect even for the best of us. I personally have brought and tried every MAC foundation over the last couple of years and have personal views of each one so if your new to MAC or are not quite sure which foundation is best for you then this is for you! I have linked each product to the website so you can check them out and try them for yourselves.

MAC Pro Longwear

£25.00 30ml SPF 10 

(NW 15)

Obviously implied by the name, Pro Longwear is a long lasting durable foundation which i found lasts all day with only the occasional powder 'touch up' needed to keep it looking presentable. The coverage is sheer to medium however i found this product can very easily be built up to create a stronger look. I didn't find the coverage dewy in any way however i did not find the product to be too matt which made the pro long wear very lightweight and good for a daily use. I would recommend this for a more natural look as its more of an everyday easy wear foundation and while it isn't a heavy foundation i personally found to wear it in the evening took far more building up and time than some others may need. With this product i used a real techniques buffing brush to apply and this foundation lasted me about 3 and a half months with being used almost every day.

♥

MAC Mineralize Satin Finish 

£24.00 30ml SPF 15

(NW 20)

This foundation is very lightweight and contains Shea Butter and Vitamin E which is ideal for light type wear in the sun. The product contains minerals which actually create a glittery effect on the skin and this can be negative when photographing with.This product makes a lot of promises to 'blur out imperfections' and 'hide away lines' and i found that this product just did not give enough coverage to actually be able to do this. I find it slightly debatable that MAC can describe a foundation as skin perfecting and sun ready in the same description. Sun ready is often associated with being light weight and skin perfecting is a more medium to heavy coverage however i did find i needed to re apply the product slightly after about 3 hours which was not always ideal.  I used this product on and off but overall it lasted me 2 and a half months. 

♥

MAC Studio Tech

£25.00 10g 

(NW 15)

This is a cream foundation in a compact with a mirror and sponge applicator (however i personally used a -real techniques- stippling brush  for a cleaner and more hygienic application process) and is a very hydrating moisturiser designed for people who have dry skin but can be used by any skin types which lasts for about 4 or 5 hours without needing touching up. It contains a blend of water, powder and emollients (a product used to often treat dry skin such as eczema and they reduce water loss by covering the skin with a protective film) With this foundation being a cream its not as mattifying and therefore if you are a very oily skin tone i would not recommend this i feel its a very hydrating cream and has a medium coverage however this could slowly be built up with a stippling brush. Its very easy to work with and i did find it was blend-able however due to it being a cream I didn't use this product very often so found it lasted about 5 months however the product its self lasted about 1 month.

♥

MAC Matchmaster 

£27.00 35ml

(2.0)

This is similar to the pro longwear in the sense that its ideal for an everyday use and is easy to apply and wear all day. I feel it is however a lot more mattifying and therefore i would not recommend this for very dry skin combinations as it will not help your skin at all. This product claims to 'match to your skin' however i feel that with all higher-end foundations this should be essential anyway as there is often a wider variety of colours as opposed to the smaller range on drug store foundations. I don't find there is anything particularly special about this foundation . There are no major negative points and it gives a build-able medium coverage however there is no selling point to the match master apart from the bottle size being 5ml more than the standard 30ml we regularly see from MAC. Application with a buffing brush (i used the real techniques brush) and this product lasted me 3 and a half months.

♥

MAC Face and Body Foundation

£27.00/£21.50 120ml/50ml

(C1)

This foundation is great for using on face or body for perfecting and covering especially for photo shoots or nights out. I found its a very refreshing foundation and very light to apply and almost felt like water when applied and of course the reason for this is that it is water based so while you may think the bottles bigger and therefore cheaper, this is not an everyday foundation as it would be easy to start using a lot of the product as you have to build it to get a good coverage.I also found on my skin after application it left my skin fairly sticky and i had to wait to powder. I did often use a concealer when using this product just to help cover imperfections better as this is by no means a camouflage. A real bonus to this foundation is that its water resistant which is ideal if your spending a at the beach but you still want a bit of light makeup or in really bad weather if you don't want any slipping foundation this is ideal as it repels water and therefore you will not have to reapply. I tended to have to apply this with clean hands or a stippling brush as i found it clogged the bristles on my buffing brush too much and meant i had to clean after every use which was not ideal when i did not use it every day. This product lasted about 6 months due to the fact that i did not use it every day. 

♥

MAC Studio Sculpt 

£25.00 40ml SPF 15

(NW15)

This foundation is a gel based formula which has a medium coverage to high coverage and i found this was very long lasting. I would recommend this more for winter time use however there are no rules to when you can or can't use a foundation. If you like a more heavy coverage this is great however think the is more for normal, combination or dry skin as if you have very oily skin a gel base will tend to slip more and then will often need to be applied more often. This foundation lasted a very long time purely due to the great coverage it gave and lasted for roughly 4-5 months which is a long time for a foundation to last. I applied this with a buffing brush but liked to blend it out on areas such as the neck with a stippling brush as i found this gave more control and allowed me to slowly bring the colour out. 

♥

MAC Studio Fix Fluid 

£21.00 30ml SPF 15

This is my absolute all time favourite MAC foundation and i will come on to the reasons after saying that i have tried all of the MAC foundations and never brought the same one more than twice with the exception of this. This is my Holy Grail of the makeup world and can turn a bad or a good skin day into an excellent skin day. This has excellent full coverage and you only need a minimal amount to produce excellent results. I only need a small amount to cover my entire face and cover my imperfections. I find i don't need any extra products with this and will only apply a translucent powder over the top to set it. I cannot compliment this product enough and i have brought it more than 4 times because i Love it so much. I have tried other foundations since and nothing lives up to this so i keep going back to it. Its also one of the cheapest MAC foundations which is excellent since each bottle lasts me 6 months and its by far in my opinion the best on their market. This is a fairly mattifying foundation and therefore i would not recommend for very very dry skin types unless you have moisturised extensively before hand however it is not an unnatural look and i feel that it does give a look of wearing foundation but not heavy, cakey or thick to wear. The negative to this foundation is the smell. The smell of this is very paint like and can put you off however as i use it so much I'm used to the smell and it is only there when you apply it when its wet so please don't let this put you off! I apply this product with a buffing brush and then when its still wet like to use a stippling bush to blend it in to the areas needed such as the creases of the eyes and the jaw-line and hair line. Studio Fix Fluid dries very quickly so can be a pain when you first learn to apply it however once you get used to the texture and consistency of the product you will learn about sectioning your makeup and timing. This may all sound very scary if your not big on makeup however its very easy and quick to pick up on. 

♥

MAC cloggs up your skin?

I have heard and seen so many reviews of people using MAC and saying that they have consequently had bad skin or negative results. Please don't listen to this or think this. When i started using MAC i had very bad skin and acne and found it hard to find anything to put on my face as i had been told that makeup clogs it up. This is totally untrue and i can happily say that 4 years since i started using MAC, my skin has never been this good and if you told anyone that i had acne they would not think it true. I have no evidence of the skin condition what so ever and i feel that people do not understand the reasons behind acne. It can be helped by your lifestyle but this is only helped. You cannot ultimately decide not to have spots and i felt that by putting makeup on it helped me to cover them a bit more. What i made sure however was that i washed my skin properly before bed and when waking up. This was to ensure all makeup was removed and then any build up or residue in the night. If you do not remove MAC properly you will begin to see that your developing imperfections and unwanted effects on your face however this goes for all makeup. Your skin breathes the most at night time and during exercise and often your pores will open which consequently means that anything on your face at this time can get caught up or break the cycle. Of course your skin is always breathing however during the day this is not an issue as it is reduced by far less.

I am not a dermatologist or face expert but this is all my own personal opinions from my past and present experiences. You may have a different experience from each product however please don't listen to silly rumours which can often put you off products try them for yourself and see the results for yourself! 

I would love to hear what you personally feel about 

Any MAC foundations you've tried

Any favorites 

Any positives or negatives

♥

Summer Vibes, Wardrobe and Tanning

So, Summer (and optimism) is almost upon us and i think now is the right time to revamp your wardrobe. I have been living in the same jeans, sweatshirts and dull winter clothes for the last few months and its definitely time for a change. I find it quite hard to go straight for the bright colours when i walk into a shop and do tend to edge toward the whites, blacks and grey. I'm not looking particularly for these colours but i do feel that many items i see in these colours look better than in bright shades and certainly not neyon. I am definitely looking more at the pastels and whites this season as they are far more pure colours and i feel more summer-ish. I will try (and probably fail) to stay away from the blacks and grey shades.

The 2014 spring summer catwalk has been dominated by black and white, icy pastels and a few more daring styles being metallic and jacquard fabrics. However, the leading coloUrs this year are orange and yellow. I was quite dubious when i heard this as orange and yellow are colours which does not particularly suit everyone as they tends to wash people out; especially if you are extremely pale or have very light hair. Luckily i have dark hair and despite being fair skinned in winter, i tan very easily when the sun comes out.

I am absolutely loving orange cropped ribbed vests  -also available in white and yellow- and my two favorites are from River Island, which is £8.00 (£10.00 online) has a high neck with a racer front and back. I am not a big fan of things around my neck however the neck on this top is not elasticated and is barely noticeable. However, this product is Limited Edition so i would try and grab one now! My second favorite easy wear  cropped top is of course from TopShop. This is a simple ribbed cropped top with a scoop neck and is slightly cheaper at £6.00 . They are both  very simple and easy to wear especially if you are slightly cautious with brighter colours and can be paired with high waisted shorts or a skirt (maxi or short). I feel both can be worn day or evening depending on which accessories you decide to match them with. I have linked them below so you can take a look at them.

RiverIsland high neck ribbed crop top

TopShop ribbed cropped vest   

If you are slightly fairer skinned all year round you can always purchase a tanning cream, mousse or moisturizer to help you on your way especially as not only orange but icy pastels tend to wash out too. Be very careful however as when tanning and wearing orange, any orange tints in your skin will show immediately when next to your skin so try to control the level and shade of your tan very carefully. There are so many tanning products on the market and i must say that i have tried so many and the prices all vary but many of the results don't. You will find one type of tanning product you will prefer and then it is easier to find your favorite brand. I personally prefer mousse as opposed to a spray or a gradual tan. I feel that its easier to apply with a mitt which can be brought very cheaply from boots or super-drug and saves you from staining your hands with the tan. With mousse you can apply it and see where you have placed it and then leave it on overnight while it develops further and wash off in the morning. The only negative side to this can be that you need to make sure you have old, loose clothing on in bed and old bed sheets in case there is any accidents. I have never once had streaky skin with mousse however with other types of tan i have had to trow them out and waste a fair bit of money on testing new ones. With all tanning products to see full results i would highly recommend moisturizing dry areas and exfoliating your skin before hand which brings a nicer glow to your tan and will allow your tan to last longer.

I would love to hear what you think about this years spring summer colors and if you have any preferences as well as what you thought about the cropped tees and if you have found any nice bright coloured clothing which you would recommend?

What are your tanning preferences and do you have any tips for application?

♥