Can you believe that Christmas is only two weeks away today? I'm so shocked how quickly it has come around this year. Today I thought it would be a great idea to share with you all what's on my Christmas list. I love reading other peoples and seeing what they're wishing for because it helps to give me ideas for future Christmas' and because well I'm just bloody nosey!

As you can probably tell, I just want lots of little bits and bobs. I've always been like that though. Nothing too fancy or grand. I just like the small things in life. You can also probably see that most of it is beauty related, but when you're beauty obsessed there isn't much else you want. I've had my eye on the Makeup Revolution Ultra Pro Glow palette for the longest time. The shades are so gorgeous and it's super affordable too at only £10. I've also had my eye on some of Spectrum makeup brush sets. Their brush sets are absolutely stunning and look such great quality. The Marbelous set look so luxurious and would look so pretty amongst my other brushes and makeup storage.  

More beauty related things I'd love are the NYX brow pomade and some more soft matte lip creams in the shades Transylvania, Cannes and Abu Dhabi, there's also a couple of Lush goodies I'm after such as the Snow Fairy gift set and the Rose Jam shower gel, a beautifully packaged hand cream by the Body Shop in Frosted Berries, one of my favourite body sprays from Body Fantasies (these are amazing, you need to try these asap!!!) and finally the Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes mascara. 

Other random pieces I'm hoping for include the Capture Your Style - Transform Your Instagram Images book by Aimee Song. I think this book will be very helpful for when it comes to Instagram and of course it's written by a fellow blogger too. I also want some slippers this year for the first time ever. I've been finding my feet have been so cold this year and want something to keep them extra snug. These grey memory foam suede slippers look so perfect. Finally, one gift that I know would be an absolute luxury present and would probably never happen, but a girl can dream, right? Yes, it's this adorable pink Kitchen Aid mixer. I love baking and this would be such a handy tool to have to make lots of delicious treats. 

Of course, I'd be happy with absolutely anything. I'm quite easy to please and people find buying for me so easy so I'd welcome anything. I just love spending time with the family at Christmas and gifting for other people. Seeing other peoples reactions and happiness makes me feel so good!

What's on your Christmas list? 

Lauren x

So a few weeks back I was lucky enough to win this stunning Amber Times Nine eyeshadow palette from Mac in Georgia's giveaway! I've wanted to try some Mac eyeshadows for a really long time now, so this palette gives me the perfect opportunity to do exactly that. Of course from the name, you can tell that this palette is made up of 9 individual shades with a mixture of mattes, frosts and shimmers, that are based around brown and gold shades giving it that amber name.  

From top left to bottom right - Cosy Grey (a cool toned matte grey), Kitties (pale bronze frost), Georgia Peach (dirty rose matte pink), Rice Paper (peachy gold with shimmer), Creative Copper (light beige), Cork (muted golden brown), Don't Tell (sparkly brown), Aromatic (matte brown) and Pepper Please (sparkly bronze, copper brown) are the nine shades that make up this palette. This palette would be very ideal for autumn/winter time, for any parties or nights out and the more warmer toned shades like Rice Paper would work well in the summer time. They're all very wearable shades and you can easily create a variation of looks from these shadows, whether you want a more natural fresh eye or a smokey bold look. 

In terms of the pigmentation of these, I will admit that I was slightly disappointed with them at first. Upon swatching them on my hand, it did take me a few times to notice them clearly on my skin, especially the lighter shades like Cosy Grey and Georgia Peach. You can probably tell from the swatches above that it was tough. But they are buildable which makes up for the lack of pigmentation. They're not awful, but you do need to build them up if you want a strong intense shadow that is noticeable to other people. Of course, if you do prefer something more natural looking then this will work for you. However they are very smooth and blend with ease onto the lid, which is exactly what you want. 

Due to it's small size, it is very travel friendly and easy to slip inside your bag if you ever want to touch up throughout the day or end up having to finish your makeup on your commute. The Amber Times Nine palette would be the perfect starter palette for anyone wanting to try out a few Mac shadows like myself. Also it would be great for anyone new to the brand, who's after a neutral mix of shades that also work well together or who wants a compact easy to travel with palette. 

Overall, this is a lovely little palette with very easy to wear colours and with so many look's to try out!

Have you tried this? What is your favourite eyeshadow palette?

Lauren x

• Metallics - I'm so obsessed with metallics! This fresh and fun trend comes in a range of tones, silver, gold, rose gold and copper. They're so easy to wear and add a touch of glam to any look.
• Suede - A 70's trend that has been big for the past couple of seasons is suede. I've been after a suede jacket for such a long time. This one from MissGuided is so gorgeous!
• Chokers - Another 90's inspired grunge trend that has been a massive hit this year. Not only has this choker style been in the form of jewellery, but also many t-shirts and dresses have supported this style of neckline. 
• Velvet - A more recent trend this A/W is velvet. Again taken from the 90's, this trend has been supported on a number of different casual pieces and more dressier garments. It's hard to pull off, but when done right it look's so good.
• Embroidery - A different spin on things has been the embroidery trend. Designers and brands have added embellished details to jackets, jeans, skirts, shirts, shoes and bags, creating a different twist to folk and bohemian fashion.
• Pleats - Pleats have been everywhere! On most items like skirts, tops, jumpsuits, trousers and dresses. This detail adds such a feminine and delicate spin on things.
• Culottes - Love them or hate them, culottes have been a go to piece this year, for adding a touch of sophistication to more dressier kind of looks from work meetings to cocktails with the girls.
• Bomber jackets - Another piece you either hate or you love. Bomber jackets come with a sporty-luxe vibe to them, sporting a range of colours and styles, there's so many out there for everyone.
• Cold shoulders - A previous trend, but that stuck round this year is cold shoulders. This flattering for all trend was big over the spring/summer months.
• Trainers - Trainers have become increasingly popular this year. With many supporting some form of Adidas or Van inspired shoe. This type of shoe is perfect for those casual comfy days.

Lifestyle - 

• PokemonGo - The app that everyone went crazy for over the summer for a month or two was PokemonGo. It got everyone outside and socialising!
• Marble - One that was big last year and has just got even bigger this year, especially in the blogging world was marble. It does look so luxurious though, so can you blame them?
• Copper - Another one from previous times and definitely stuck around this year was copper! So many different brands for all sorts of different products, from cutlery for the kitchen to hairdryers and hair irons to style your locks have been supporting this choice of colour.
• Flatlays - Flatlays have been huge all over Instagram, in Magazines and other big brand websites, as well as many bloggers supporting this choice of photo styling. If you can master it, then it bloody look's amazing!
• Blush pink - I'm honestly so happy about this one. The blush pink colour is so stunning. I've been wearing this within my outfits, my bedding and room features is the colour, my blog is even this colour. It's such a pretty shade and one I hope stays for a long time.
• Year of the GIF - Twitter added the GIF feature to it's page this year, meaning many have been adding gif's relating to their tweets, conversations or even through DM's as a new form of communicating. 
• Hygge - Within the last few months, the danish word 'Hygge' meaning a feeling or mood that is produced from taking pleasure in ordinary, everyday moments by being more meaningful and special, has been a lifestyle many have adopted recently. 
• Bullet journaling - This style of journaling that aims to help you master your schedule, comes in the form of bullet journaling. They enable you to customise your schedule/organisation to meet with your own preference and are super flexible. Lot's of us started this style of journaling, with many showing so many creative ways to do it and finding it successful. 

Lauren x

When I think of festive eyes I think lots of glitz and glamour! You're also going to want something that lasts you all night long and this is where an eye primer is going to come in handy. The Urban Decay Primer Potion is a great shout. This will help to keep your eye makeup on for as long as possible, it also helps to prevent creasing and gives much more of a smoother application. Or a more affordable alternative, but what works in the same way are the NYX eyeshadow bases. These are primer pots which help to prevent fall out and make application easier all whilst keeping your eye makeup on as long as possible.

Now you're base is ready to go, my usual go to everyday shadow is typically a shimmery golden shadow, but I think this colour choice is also perfect for this period. Gold is a shade we do associate more with Christmas. It's also one that is very flattering on all skin tones and goes with many different eye colours. Using this as the main colour within your look, you can add other shades to create a smokey eye or more definition to your look.

The Mac Amber Times Nine palette is one that can be used to achieve this type of look. This palette is perfect for this time of the year and because of the shade range, you have the option of creating whatever kind of look you want to for a series of occasions over the festive period. But of course, it does come with the gold shimmer option also known as Creative Copper. You can then use Cork the matte light brown shade as your contour through the crease of your lid to add definition. The shade Kitties can be added for a pop of colour in the inner corner of your eye. You can also use more of the other shades within the palette depending on how creative or glamorous you want to be with your look.

Another colour choice you could go for on your eyes is the on trend and another Christmas associated shade more known as copper. My top pick for this is the NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadow in Show Girl. Not only are these very affordable and highly pigmented, but they're also long lasting too. Like the previous gold look, put a brown shade through the crease to define your lid and a pop of a brighter colour for highlight.

To add the finishing touches to your shadow looks, you might want to add a liquid liner like the L'oreal Super Liner or pencil liner like those from Urban Decay 24/7 range to your eyes. If you're going for the liquid liner option, go for a cat flick for extra drama or for a more relaxed look run it along the top of your lashes for a more fuller and defined lash line. If you plan on going for pencil liners, then run them along the lower lashline or water line and smudge them out to enhance your smokey eye. Finally to add more glamour to your look, go for a mascara or a set of false lashes, that create volume, drama and curl to your lashes. My number one pick is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara. It's honestly one of the best mascaras out there right now and perfect for long lasting occasions.

Lips:

The final lip option is one for the nude lip lovers! My choice is swaying more away from the matte finishes, so if you're someone who hates them or finds them too drying for you, then keep on reading. Rimmel's Kate Moss Lasting Finishing lipstick in 03 is a beige toned nude. It feels very creamy yet light on the lips. These also last a good amount of time too. This is perfect for anyone who wants more of a natural relaxed lip if they want to keep their eye look the star of the show or prefer natural simple looks. You could also pair this with a lip gloss if you fancied something a little extra, like the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Puckers. Even though these claim to pump up the lips a little (although I can't notice much difference) the colour pay off of these are quite good and they don't feel sticky on the lips like most lip glosses do. Nude Star in particular would look great with the Rimmel lipstick.

This is the most perfect time of the year to spend hours on end in the evenings or on a weekend in your favourite winter pyjamas, snuggled up in front of the TV with a steaming hot chocolate and a sweet treat for company. I thought I'd put together a little wishlist to help you find your favourite pyjama/nightwear picks to help you get through this seasonal chilly period with warmth, coziness and style of course.

I'm a huge fan of blush pink right now and have been since the start of the summer, so it's no surprise that I'm featuring this gorgeous silk nightshirt and pyjama shorts set and putting it high on my wishlist right now. I just love how luxurious yet cute it looks. There's also the blue version if you fancy a cooler shade. On the subject of blush pink, how adorable are these cable faux fur lined socks? They're perfect for a cosy evening in. I'm also so in love with this teddy robe. It look's so soft and cosy for this time of year.

If you prefer something a little more warmer yet in the similiar style as the sets above, then there's also a wintery ice blue colour with stripe cotton details, but in a longer version which will keep you super warm throughout the chillier nights. You could also opt for a Christmas onesie playsuit with pompom ears for extra cosiness.

This season is of course all about being festive and getting excited for Christmas, so of course I had to include some Christmas themed nightwear within this wishlist. If you want to go all out, then these Elf Christmas Pyjamas are perfect for a light hearted touch or these Christmas vacay tee and short set for a fun twist to wear throughout the holidays. To finish off your look, you could opt for these adorable Reindeer themed socks to go all out and get into more of the festive spirit.

Other accessories to throw on for your nightwear attire include these faux fur mule slippers, which look so warm and soft, they'll be sure to keep your feet warm throughout the winter period, whilst looking so luxurious and being an absolute bargain for the price. We've touched on one gorgeous robe, but there's also this grey fox novelty robe that look's super soft and the fox theme is just too cute but apparent for the autumn/winter season.

As you can probably tell, there's a theme of warmth, coziness, festiveness and cuteness, but that's what the winter is about, right?

I feel like when it comes to the Christmas celebration period, you're either one of two people throughout this time of the year. You might be someone who gets into the festive spirit early, counting down the days until the season to be jolly hits, putting up your decorations as soon as December 1st comes around and spend your commute in the morning listening to your favourite Christmas playlist, trying not to sing out loud from your seat on a packed bus. Or you might be the opposite end of the scale, finding it hard to be excited about the season approaching, knowing it causes you more stress with things like presenting buying and hosting the family, you may fail to be full of Christmas joy. 

Well today's post is hopefully going to help you get excited for Christmas. Whether you're a bit of a scrooge, a Christmas fanatic or somewhere in the middle, here's how to be excited for Christmas!

Decorate - For some it's a tedious job that takes a lot of effort. If this is you, then try do it as early as possible to 'get it out of the way' and use it as a way to admire all the festive decor around your home. It might help enlight some spirit and get you feeling all festive. Gather your loved ones around you to help decorate to make it more of an enjoyable experience for you and have it as a memory to look back on or make it a tradition for years to come.

Visit the Christmas market(s) - Visiting Christmas markets can be a great way to get excited for Christmas time. It's also a good opportunity to spend a day or two over the weekend with your family or friends and explore what's on offer. Most markets have a delicious range of food and drinks, arts and crafts, gifts and home accessories, fashion accessories and pieces. They'll be something there for everyone!

Christmas shopping - Some either love or hate this part of Christmas! But doing it early can help keep you prepared and won't have to worry about doing it because you'll be finished whilst everyone else is still rushing around. If you don't fancy braving your local town or city, then you can easily do it all from the comfort of your home and shop online.

Plan fun days - Of course, we already touched on going to Christmas markets for the day. But there's also other fun days out you could plan with your loved ones to get you feeling all festive. You could head to the local ice rink and go ice skating, go on a winter walk, go the theatre to see the Christmas pantomime, head to Winter Wonderland in London, take the kids to go see Santa, have a Christmas movie day in or bake lots of yummy festive treats.

Reminisce about old Christmas memories - Whether this is with other people you're close to or even just by yourself, think back to all the previous Christmas' where you've had great days and made lots of memories. It will be sure to put a smile on your face and get you looking forward to what this year has instore.

Watch Christmas movies - There's going to be lots of festive films on over the next few weeks, so what better time to snuggle under a blanket and sink your teeth into lots of Christmassy movies. Elf, Home Alone and Muppets Christmas Carol are some of my favourites. 

Read Christmas themed books - If you're a book lover, then this ones certainly for you! Whether you fancy reading a classic Christmas book like 'The Night Before Christmas' and 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' or more of a genre style book with a Christmas theme to it, then there's always something out there for you to escape into throughout this period. This is especially good for when you're off work or school for the holidays and can spend lots of time reading.

Send out cards - In modern times, most of us communicate with our loved ones by picking up our phones and sending a text message or giving them a quick ring. But Christmas is the perfect time to put down that phone and write out a few Christmas cards to send out to everyone you love from family and friends, to neighbours and coworkers. Spread the celebrations and wish people a merry time!

Have a countdown - The most famous way of doing this is a Chocolate Advent. But there are hundreds of different themed countdowns within the market right now. Beauty, toys, candles, jewellery are just some of the types of calendars out there. This is a great way to help you feel more festive as the days go by.

Write a Christmas list - This list should include all the presents you are hoping for this Christmas. Not only will it help your family and friends have a good idea what to get you, but also make you feel super excited for the day!

Make and consume lots of yummy Christmas food - We've touched on doing some Christmas baking, in which you can be really creative with and bake lots of delicious naughty treats. But you can also make some tasty festive inspired foods, like mince pies, pigs in blankets, a traditional turkey roast dinner etc. Plus you can consume it too!!!

Listen to festive music - Whack out that radio and listen along to the festive radio stations, turn on the TV and flick through the music channels to sing along to the Christmassy music videos, create your own festive inspired playlist and listen to it wherever you are. There's nothing like getting excited for Christmas than singing your heart out to the well known classic Christmas songs!

Give to charity/gifts - Of course, Christmas is all about giving. Treat your loved ones to something special. But also remember to donate your money or time to those in need, through charity or volunteer work can be a great way to do something for someone else less fortunate this Christmas. Even just doing a small deed, like helping someone load their shopping into their car or posting their Christmas cards for them can be a massive help and make you feel good for doing something nice.

*photo credit: pni Decorated via photopin (license)

Write it all down - First things first is that you're going to at least need somewhere where you can easily write things down into for future reference. This might be the notes on your phone for a quick and on the go method or a notebook if you'd rather put pen to paper. Writing things down helps you to clear everything out of your mind and deposit it somewhere else without running the risk of forgetting. You can store any ideas for future posts, important dates for events or meetings you might have in the pipeline, create a to do list to keep you going, store any key details of brand collaborations or sponsored posts etc.

Purchase some cute stationary - Nothing says organisation than buying some cute stationary pieces to work with! Treat yourself to a cute notebook, desk planner, some fancy pens or pencils, some sticky notes and whatever else you think will help you or you fall in love with. 

Create a calendar and work to a schedule -  If you really want to be extra organised, then working to a content schedule might be ideal for you. Creating an editorial calendar will help you with keeping to your schedule. An editorial calendar gives you the opportunity to control the process of creating your content, right from the start of thinking of the idea up until you hit that publish button. 

I have an 18 month planner to help me keep organised with mine. I pencil in the posts I want to publish for that month on the days I upload on and always refer back to it when I want to look what posts I am going to be publishing for the next couple of weeks. The great thing about pencilling in these posts is that you can always switch things around if there's any problems with posting or if you lose passion for a particular post you may have scheduled. 

Another option you might decide to go for instead of a planner is working to a spreadsheet. This is great if you prefer working straight from your computer instead of physically writing things out. You can really personalise your own calendar this way to suit your needs and style, as well as correcting and changing things up with a few clicks of a button.

Plan plan plan! - Planning is super important. It gives you a clear idea of what it is you need to do to produce the post(s) such as what photos you want to take, what you want to write about, the benefits of this post to your readers, is there anything you to need in order to to actually produce the post, like photo props or any products? This will help you to avoid sitting at your computer screen stumped with time wasted.

Make to do lists - I couldn't work properly without making to do lists! They're so handy for not only keeping you organised, but also help with keeping you focused and motivated. Remember to set yourself realistic goals for the day ahead, especially if you have quite a busy schedule anyway and you blog during your spare time. It also is good to write out your list the night before, so you know exactly what is it you need to do and can get straight on with it. Plus there's something so satisfying about ticking something off on your to do list, no matter how big or small. It's an achievement. 

Set yourself reminders - If you know that you're someone who's quite forgetful or finds it hard to manage their time, then setting yourself reminds might be a great option for you. You could do this by setting yourself reminders or alarms on your phone or sticking little notes around the home to remind you of what it is you need to do. This can also help with if you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount you have to do.

Dedicate a time/day to blogging - We all know how hard it can be to blog with the ongoings of everyday life, so setting yourself a certain time or day throughout the week to blog will really help you to stay organised with your blog. You might decide to keep a few evenings a week to writing up your posts and scheduling promo tweets, whilst keeping your sundays for photography sessions and content planning. Find what works for you and keep at it.

Respond to emails on the same day you receive them - I'm quite guilty at not doing this. But it's definitely something I'm going to try work on, especially when it comes to responding back to important messages from brands and other bloggers. Responding to emails on the same day will not only show your interested, but also will mean your inbox doesn't end up piling up along with that to do list of yours.

Quality over quantity - Blogging is different for everyone. Some people will post more than others  and some will post less over a week. Either is absolutely fine and it's important you do what works best for you. This is where quality over quantity comes in. Don't feel like you need to post just for the sake of posting. Don't. This might be where the quality of your posts end up slumping and where you end up becoming overwhelmed by trying to keep consistent with your high quantity. It might be easier for you to manage a smaller amount of posts each week and keep organised with this process, than it is to keep pushing out posts that aren't to your usual standard and end up falling out of love with it all.

Treat it like work but have fun - Sometimes blogging can end up being more of a chore than a hobby when you find yourself lacking inspiration or you end up slipping behind. This is where being organised comes into play. If you're organised and treat it kind of like your working a job with lists, a schedule and plans, you can keep things running smoothly. But add the fun element into it by putting the things you love and doing things you enjoy into the mix. This might be taking photographs, writing about subjects you're passionate about, getting creative with your content or being a social bee on your social media pages.

Maximise time - We've touched on schedules and everyday life. If you're someone who doesn't have much time to spend blogging, then maximising any free time you do have is super important. A good idea would be to dedicate a time or day to work on your blog as also mentioned above. But any other moments you find yourself bored or unsure of what to do, then put this time to use and work on your blog. This might be on your commute to or from work or school, when you first wake up in the morning and your scrolling through social media for ten minutes or so, when your partners out for the night and you're home alone or on your lunch break, spend a few minutes scheduling tweets, responding to emails or comments on your blog, uploading a new picture to Instagram or catching up with people on social media.

Find a work space - At night after a long hard working day, you might find it hard to switch off from the world from your computer or phone screen. We're all guilty of doing this. But shutting these things down and leaving them be for the rest of the night is so important for our overall health and wellbeing, but also for keeping ourselves organised and putting that side of our lives to rest the night whilst we also drift off. Pick somewhere around your home, whether thats an office/study, a chair in your living room or a desk in your bedroom, that you can use as your work space and once it's time to wind down for the night, then leave it be and come back to it in the morning.