Christmas Decorating Ideas

With only 8 days to go until the big day it's probably safe to say that you've already put up your decorations but if you still need some ideas then you're in luck!  In case you haven't decorated yet, I've put together a few ideas for what to try this year. I feel like you can always work with what you've already got to achieve different looks and maybe just buying a few little extra things each year. My top tip however would be to take a look in all the shops and take inspiration from their Christmas decorations

- Folksy -

It's all about colour, colour, colour with this look. Be bold with what you choose and don't be afraid to mix in quirky little pieces, you don't want anything to match. Mixing textures and fabrics really brings the folksy look alive.

/ 1. £15 Sainsburys (in store) / 2. £2 Sainsburys (in store) / 3. £15 Marks and Spencer / 4. £12 Sainsburys (in store) / 5. £5 Wilko / 6. £1 Sainsbury (in store) / 7. £7 Debenhams /

- Tartan Traditional -

If you want your house to look extra cosy at Christmas then this is the look to go for. Imagine a hunting lodge in the highlands of Scotland filled with fresh greenery and subtle hints of tartan, that's what you're aiming for.

/ 1. £45 Next / 2. Marks and Spencer £3 (in store) / 3. Sainsburys £1 (in store) / 4. Sainsburys £8 (in store) / 5. Sainsburys £5 (in store) / 6. Marks and Spencer £35 (in store) / 7. Next £12 (in store) /

- Blue and White -

For the modernist who likes a touch of colour, navy blue and white is the way to go. Paired with silver accessories, this look is pure luxury yet still feels warm and inviting.

/ 1. £15 House Of Fraser / 2. £1 Sainsburys (in store) / 3. £5 Next (in store) / 4. £1 Sainsburys (in store) / 5. £10 Debenhams (in store) / 6. £30 Sainsburys (in store) / 7. £1 Sainsburys (in store) /

- Winter Wonderland -

Mixing white with bare, natural wood creates a welcoming feel to come out of the cold and in to your home, almost as if you're bringing the outside in. There's something magical about this look, like everything is lightly coated with glittering frost. 

/ 1. £12.50 Tesco / 2. £7 Tesco (in store) / 3. £35 House Of Fraser (in store) / 4. £52 House Of Fraser (in store) / 5. £4 Sainsburys (in store) / 6. £8 Sainsburys (in store) / 7. £20 House Of Fraser (in store) /

I LOVE decorating for Christmas but I don't have my own house yet so it's my Mum who gets the last lay in how we decorate. Does anyone else's Mum not let them decorate the Christmas tree!? She always does such an amazing job however so I really can't fault her! What theme(if any!) have you gone for with your Christmas decorations this year? Let me know below!

pictures property of Wilko, pictures property of House Of Fraser, pictures property of Tesco, pictres property of Sainsburys, pictures property of Next, pictures, property of Debenhams, pictres property of Marks and Spencer

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 8

How are we on number 8 already? I can't complain though, I get so excited to see what's behind the door each day and today's treat was the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. I've heard of this before but I admit I had no idea what it was for. It turns out it's a pre shampoo conditioning treatment which is perfect as my poor hair has started drying out from having the central heating all the time!

Apparently this was originally created by Philip Kingsley for Audrey Hepburn so already I have high hopes for it, if it's good enough for Audrey then it's good enough for me! It claims to add elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine and seeing as it's a really decent sized bottle, I think I'll get a lot of use out of this. Here's hoping my hair will be all those things by the time I've finished it!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 7

We're on day 7 already, phew this week's gone quick! It was a nice little surprise today to find an Aromatherapy Associates candle in my calendar. This is a brand I'm a big fan off but I have to admit something, I'm really not a candle person! I'm quite sensitive to strong fragrances, they make me feel queasy and sneezy to the point where I can't go anywhere near Lush shops and have to completely avoid Yankee Candle stands!

So I'm not sure about this one, the smell reminds me of the incense they burn in churches, it's definitely not unpleasant, in fact there's something quite soothing about it. Most likely though I think I'll be giving it to my Mum because she most definitely is a candle person!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 6

A Sisley Radiant Glow Express Mask was what was behind number 6's door. It is a teeny tiny little bottle so probably only enough for maximum three uses but that's ok because I was expecting quite a few small sample products in the calendar and so far this is the only tiny one. Plus it's probably just as well because otherwise I would have fallen in love with it and then wanted to purchase a full sized bottle. Imagine my surprise to find out it's £73! Yes you did read that right, SEVENTY THREE POUNDS!

A little bit about the mask from what information I've gathered from the bottle, well it's red clay based and supposedly absorbs impurities and deep cleanses as well as giving an instant radiance boost. It all sounds promising, especially as the cold weather is already starting to take effect on my skin, but if it really is £73 worth of good then maybe I'll just save it to use on special occasions.

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 5

On day 5 of the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar I actually got something really quite useful, a Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion. Obviously body lotion is always useful but, I only ever moisturise my face and never my body. I know, shock horror! Honestly I just never feel like I need to, I don't ever get dry skin so I get on just fine without moisturising. However, I'm willing to start giving it a go because the Caudalie lotion smells so amazing! I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly, it just smells fresh and light.  

So yes I will start moisturising, probably until this runs out, but then I will stop because a full sized bottle of this costs £20 and there is no way on earth that I can afford to spend that on moisturiser!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 4

Today's treat behind the door was a full sized Essie nail polish in the shade 'lots of lux' from the Encrusted Treasures collection. It's a gorgeous shimmering blue with a matte finish. The matte texture actually surprised me a little, it isn't something I've ever really come across before. The glitter is small but chunky and I can only really compare it to the same finish as sandpaper but without the scratchiness! It is a beautiful colour though and perfect for the Christmas season! 

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 3

Day 4 of the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar brought me one of my all time favourite fragrances, the Molton Brown Orange & Bergamont body wash. My Mum is a huge fan of Molton Brown and regularly buys the Orange & Bergamont hand wash so I already know this fragrance and I absolutely love it. In fact as I write this I've already used up the whole bottle! 

I can't stress how excited I am to open this up every morning and the quality of products has really impressed me. I forgot to mention too that each little door has a quote from the brand/brand creator which is a really cute idea!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 2

Day 2 of the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar and I got ...drum roll please... a Laura Mercier foundation primer! I've never had the opportunity to try any products from Laura Mercier seeing as it's way out of my price range so I really was quite excited to see this behind the door! It's a surprisingly good sized bottle as well so it should last a good while.

I don't tend to use primer normally as the ones I've tried before didn't seem to do much but I've heard good things about this one and can't wait to give it a try!

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar Day 1

Christmas Gift Guide - For Dads

Dad's have to be far and away the most difficult to buy for at Christmas, well in my experience anyway. Ever year my Dad asks for a motorbike, sorry Dad but that's not gonna happen on my budget!

If I'm honest I think it's best just to ask directly if there's anything they'd particularly like but if you're looking for a surprise gift then there's all kinds of things included in my gift guide. I've tried to pick gifts to suit every Dad, all for £50 or less too. 

// Harris Tweed Laptop Case £20 // Canvas Satchel £49.95 // Navy Flannel Dressing Gown £34 // Modern Gent's Shaving Kit £25 // J by Jasper Conran Black Leather Belt £29 // Ted Baker Bike Print Hip Flask £22.40 (sale price) // Brown Check Moccassin Slippers £15 // Pure Cotton V-Neck Jumper £19.50 //  

What will you be getting your Dad for Christmas? Let me know below if you have any better ideas than mine!

pictures property of bhs, pictures property of the white stuff, pictures property of topman, pictures property of the body shop, pictures property of debenhams, pictures property of house of fraser, pictures property of marks and spencer

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - Day 1

It's finally advent calendar time, I'v been looking forward to this moment for weeks and weeks! Can you tell I'm REALLY big on Christmas?! Especially so this year as my Mum very kindly treated me to the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar as a surprise! 

There are over £250 worth of products in the calendar including some really great high end brands which is just incredible!  I thought it might be fun to share what I find behind the door each day just like I did with my Ciate Advent Calendar last year so scroll down to see what was behind door number one!

For the first day of December I was treated to a mini Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish with muslin cloth and a handy little cleansing guide. This is just the perfect first gift for me as I am a huge fan of Liz Earle and the Cleanse and Polish especially and it's one of the main cleansers I use. I reckon I'll save it to use for when I go away but having an extra muslin cloth is always handy seeing as mine always seem to get lost in the wash!

Overall I'm really chuffed with the first day's treat, it's a brand I know and love and I will most definitely get a lot of use out of it. So far so good! I can't begin to describe how excited I am about seeing what's behind tomorrow's door! Eeep!

Have you got a beauty advent calendar this  year? Or maybe you think they are just a waste of money!? Let me know below!