I don't know about you but I have my everyday makeup and then I have my 'special occasion' makeup. This isn't on par with that special pair of shoes that you keep in a dust bag and don't want to scuff the bottoms of so you basically don't wear them. But more makeup for evenings and days I want to look and feel my best. This could simply be a dinner out, a special event or of course New Years eve.
When I use said makeup items it feels special and almost like a treat so there has to be something about them that means they have made the cut - think beautiful packaging, limited edition compacts, perfect formulas and finishes and products from my favourite luxury beauty brands!
While this post would be extremely long if I shared the makeup I consider my 'special occasion makeup' I decided to share with you four lipsticks instead that I adore and feel beyond special to me.
Christmas day is soon upon on to so today I thought I'd share with you how I have enjoyed decorating for Christmas this year as I'm one of those annoying people that embrace the festive season with open arms and laps up every second of it! This means Pinterest boards, colour schemes and a full drawer dedicated to gift wrapping supplies!
I didn't always use to be this 'full on' Christmas wise, however over the years I have found it's a new way to embrace the joy of Christmas as decorating provides a cosy and homely atmosphere that really lifts dark evening. Below you will find out how I decorated my dining table this year and see my favourite cosy corner where I display my Chrismas mug collection - yes, that is a thing!
This post is in collaboration with Lifestyle Furniture.
Christmas Decorating
In general I love interior design; from picking up ornaments and homeware to add to my home to designing a new space. So when Christmas comes along one of my main focuses', probably as equally important to present buying, is decorating my home for Christmas.
While normally one of the main events is putting up the tree, this year it's been slightly tricky with a new puppy under our feet! So although I enjoyed decorating the tree with new baubles and deciding on a silver and gold theme this year (it works, trust me!) the focus was more on navigating how to keep unwanted paws off the baubles and from pulling down the entire thing!
So this year my main focus was to create a full-on festive and grown-up Christmas dining room, from looking on Pinterest for Christmas table design ideas to figuring out a colour scheme that wasn't made up of just a single colour.
Choosing a Festive Colour Scheme
From contemporary to rustic and even kitsch there are endless Christmas theme choices. However this year I decided to go for a classic look with a colour scheme of red, green and silver/white. This was all centred around my new dining table from Lifestyle Furniture, who kindly got in touch and offered me a piece of furniture. After nearly 7 years of having a wooden cradle style table with glass top, it was definitely time for an upgrade so I decided on something similar yet much more sophisticated and grown up.
A Grown-up Dining Set
The table I went for, actually with family gatherings and festivities in mind was the beautiful Camden Deluxe Dining Set with Grey Velvet Chairs. I find glass tables really add light and space to an area and are durable and easy to clean. But what I liked the most, other than the gorgeous chairs, was the shape of the table and the thick oak criss-cross legs that look sturdy yet elegant.
So with a beautiful new table, which is definitely the focus of the room, I decided to plan my Christmas table layout around it. First I added height and symmetry with an artificial Christmas tree in the centre which I decorated with small red ribbons and lights to pair my red and green colour scheme together. Then looking to Pinterest for inspiration I decided to actually lay my table, starting with inexpensive metallic red charger plates and layering them up with classic white plates, side plates an bowls and topping with a silver or marble effect bauble!
As you will see below I also really enjoying decorating the backs of the stunning velvet studded chairs as I wanted to draw the eye to the beautiful chrome knockers so I added a decorative Santa key tree decoration to each and finished with hand-tied red ribbon which I think adds a really nice contrast to the dark grey velvet chairs - which feel and look incredible, to be honest!
I also decided to tie in my classic red, green and white theme into the rest of the dining room without it being too much. So I picked up a red berry wreath and hung it with the same red ribbon on a large white mirror in my dining room. I feel this very much ties the entire theme together and while looking wholesome still have an element of clean and contemporary to it!
My Cosy Corner
The other area of my dining room I wanted to focus on was a pair of white ladder shelves. I picked these up earlier last year from eBay and while simple they definitely allow me room to enjoy my love of ornaments with tons of displaying room.
As you can see, while predominated white I loosely stuck to my red and green theme displaying my favourite Christmas mugs that contained these colours. I also added what I like to call 'touches of magic' with a beautiful wire lit glass dome lamp and some real wax LED pillar candles that add a little sparkle and glow on an evening.
Keeping with a loose colour scheme here meant all the decorative items although very different in style all work together well - so if you are unsure how to make a corner of your home look good then definitely go with a colour scheme of 2-3 colours and see how well everything comes together.
Christmas Mug Collection
What I love about this little corner of my dining room is how the mixture of stylish pieces works with more kitsch orgaments, especially the cute Christmas mugs and little trees. If you're a fellow lover of Christmas I would strangely highly recommend starting a Christmas mug collection. I started a few years ago now, collecting them both to display and use and over the years I've collected so many that I know will treasure forever!
This also creates a nostalgic element even as an adult! Already when I unwrap my Christmas mug collection to display each year, thoughts of when and where I bought each mug arise. It also lets me indulge in picking up some extra special mugs that I have always wanted - such as the special gilded Anthropologie monogram mug.
With fully decorating my Dining room, especially my gorgeous new table, my home is feeling more festive than ever both and I now can't wait to show it off to friends and family and enjoy my time off over the Christmas period.
To celebrate my new dining table Lifestyle Furniture are giving all Makeup Savvy readers £20 off first orders plus free UK shipping with code 'makeupsavvy' at the checkout here!
Do you decorate beyond the Christmas tree? Let me know!
This will be my last post before Christmas Day so I want to wish you all a happy and safe holiday period, filled with rest, love and happiness.
Fee xo.
Well, you could take one of their interests or hobbies and pick from over 100,000 pieces of metal-mounted metal art prints on Displate. Yes, however niche their taste or interests there will be something that will suit them perfectly.
Every year I start my 'for him' gift guide by stating that men are tricky to buy for, and I still stand by it. Of course, you can go generic and gift a bottle of alcohol or a gift box selection of socks but if you want any kind of positive reaction from your male gift recipient then you've got to think outside of the box a little!
While we are very near Christmas (I know I haven't finished all of my own Christmas shopping) I have ensured all products mentioned in this post will arrive in time, whether that's through Amazon prime, ASOS next day delivery or good old-fashioned high street shopping.
If there's ever a time for pampering it's during winter. So this is why I often find myself giving pampering gifts from skincare to bath products and home fragrance at Christmas.
Below I have something for all budgets, from inexpensive body care gift sets to luxury skincare and both high and low-end home fragrance gifts. Even if you are done with your Christmas shopping this year (I applaud you) you may find this gift guide can point you in the right direction for some after Christmas sale shopping!
Let's face it, while some gift guides may help us out in the present buying department for the most part they can often enable 'to me, love me' spending, especially if it's makeup themed!
So while today I wanted to share some of my favourite Christmas gifts from Morphe (there are some amazing ones this year!) as they are December's Cult Beauty Brand of the Month meaning free international delivery, I'm fully aware these are product perfect for treating yourself to or even bookmarking for after Christmas - because who doesn't love a little spend come Boxing Day.
For me, the lead up to Christmas is possibly more special than the day itself. Even as an adult I try to encompass the festive feelings and magical joy Christmas can bring to even the most boring of days, by actively seeking and setting time aside for all things festive.
This year I'm working my way through Christmas movies I've yet to watch, more on that later, discovering new festive reads and even starting a Christmas vinyl collection. Take a peek at my ever growing Christmas bookshelf to discover a few treasures and find out my favourite Christmas movie of 2018, below!
Christmas is here and with less than 30 days until the big day I think we are all project: Christmas shopping right now!
So for the first of a few Christmas gift guides, I wanted to bring you a look at some unique beauty gifts as I feel a lot of gifts and gift sets can be a little generic this time of year. From fun Korean beauty picks to some organic offerings and even a selection of unique wellness gifts that I feel will suit any beauty lover.
Oh, and no gift is over £20 here making it an ultra-affordable gift guide!
So for the first of a few Christmas gift guides, I wanted to bring you a look at some unique beauty gifts as I feel a lot of gifts and gift sets can be a little generic this time of year. From fun Korean beauty picks to some organic offerings and even a selection of unique wellness gifts that I feel will suit any beauty lover.
Oh, and no gift is over £20 here making it an ultra-affordable gift guide!
By now I think it's pretty clear I love a bargain however it has to be good quality and worth it, hence why I named this blog 'Makeup Savvy' all those years ago. So this year I decided I had to put together an eBay Christmas Gift Guide.
As we are nearing Christmas itself all the items below are from UK sellers with Buy it Now prices and free delivery, oh and everything is under £10! I'm really pleased with all the gifts I've found here and hope you find a few things you like - I may have already bought the Star & Moon Hair Slide Set and the ingenious printed cookie rolling pin!
It's that time of the year again, where I share with you my annual Christmas Wish List. I feel it's become somewhat of a tradition on my blog before the flurry of festive posts and to signal my own festive-mood has kicked in.
It also helps me decide exactly what I'd love to receive, especially for those that ask me what I want!
Please also see this as a kind of gift guide for yourself and others as there are some lovely gift ideas here I think or if not, may just introduce you to brands or websites you've never heard of before. Also, we all know that every gift set imaginable will be discounted the second after Christmas Day so if you truly love something and aren't cheeky enough to ask a family member or friend for it then it's worth earmarking the page to revisit and check the price come the post Christmas sales!
From makeup and skincare (obvs) to books and cosy items, here is my Christmas wish list for 2018!
Somehow it has become a tradition on Makeup Savvy for my first Christmas post of the year to be an overview of the new Zoella Beauty Christmas range. Which I actually can't complain about as I'm always excited for a new Zoella Beauty launch, especially come Christmas.
So with tradition, I picked up a few of my favourite looking gifts and products from the new Zoella Beauty Cosmos Christmas Collection 2018 to talk you through the entire range, share my thoughts on the 'Cosmos' scent and give you an idea of which gifts are worth buying (and maybe avoiding) this year!
As the big day rolls ever closer stress levels for a lot of people can be at their highest. From worrying about family interactions, burning the candle at both ends or simply trying too hard for that perfect Christmas Day.
However, that doesn't need to be the case, with a little less expectation and awareness of stress or anxiety levels you can have a festive break that you will enjoy. Below I've detailed a few of the ways I like to have a stress-free Christmas after battling anxiety for years. I hope these simple tips help you have a merry little Christmas.
It's that time of year again! Christmas work do's are in full steam and many a family gathering are being had. For me, this means sweat/weatherproof makeup (not so glamorous, I know) and extra sparkle!
So I thought I would give you a rundown of my go-to special occasion makeup, from long-lasting products to the sparkliest makeup products I own!
For my final instalment of this year's Christmas gift guide, I thought I would share a few skincare and body care gifts, the latter being pretty easy to buy while skin care gifts taking a little more thought.
Which is why I decided it would be nice to give a few suggestions and share my favourite gift sets for Christmas 2017! You can see the rest of my Christmas Gift Guides HERE!
Onto the serious Beauty Gift Guide today!
While there may be more you want to put on your own Christmas list here than gift others there are some great value sets here worthy of gifting to those that you want to spoil this year!
You can find the rest of my Christmas Gift Guides 2017 HERE!
My annual Christmas Gift Guides are officially here! Yes, I'm excited about them!
Whether you are in the midst of your Christmas shopping, need ideas for what to ask people for or even just to earmark a few gift sets you may want to treat yourself to come Boxing Day my gift guides for 2017 should help!
Today's Christmas Gift Guide is for those that are semi on a budget/don't want to overspend, however still want to gift something really nice! I tried my best to pick the gift sets and gifts that are good value for money and I think I've accomplished that with some real gems... let me know what you like the most!
With Christmas fast approaching I think we are all in PBM (Present Buying Mode) and while it hasn't reached PPMB (Panic Present Buying Mode) levels just yet, we all want to nail down some good gifts for our nearest and dearests.
Which is why if like me you've been asked 'what do you want for Christmas?" or "give me ideas?!" more than a few times since November! So here is the post to give you ideas of what to ask for or simply so that you can drop hints about what you would like to see under the tree come Christmas morning.
Fragrance is without a doubt one of the most gifted (and possibly most returned/re-sold) items at Christmas! The allure of the fragrance gift set! So when jotting down ideas for this years Christmas gift guides here on Makeup Savvy I decided I need to focus on fragrance for one of them.
Gifting perfume can be tricky, although it may not seem it, especially if you don't know what your recipient prefers, so my first section of this guide is all about giving a gift of fragrance that is foolproof - yes, it can be done! Moving onto affordable fragrances after that and then more luxurious scents for the ones you really want to treat this year. I really hope this fragrance gift guide gives you a little inspiration!
I don't know about you but Christmas is one of my busiest times of the year and although I love it I require daily downtime to stay on top of it all and enjoy it!
Of course, sticking on a Christmas movie is one way to relax while saying in the spirit of things but for me, I also like to combine my love of reading with this special time of year! This is something that I started a few years ago, seeking out festive reads instead of my go-to thriller genre.
So today I thought it would be a nice idea to share my own collection of festive reads and put together a Christmas reading list that not only could you pick and choose from yourself but you could also gift others, especially if you know a fellow Christmas fanatic! Below you will find a good mix of reads, from a book for all ages, something that will prompt nostalgic memories of Christmas as a child, a festive cookbook with a twist and even a short story from author, John Green - who knew he'd written a Christmas tale!
Ahh, it's finally December. Well, I say finally but I think we are all baffled by how fast 2017 has gone. So much has happened yet it seems only yesterday it was the start of the year. Who knows!
For me, December is 'Christmas' as I find the lead up just as good, if not better, as the day itself. The sparkle of Christmas lights both indoor and out, along with feel-good adverts about getting together and giving back adds a lightness to my days. I also feel Christmas is the season where regressing in age is fully acceptable, so I fully intend to be sat by my Christmas tree feeling presents through their wrapping paper while watching Arthur Christmas and eating too many chocolates in the days leading up to the big day. Actually, isn't it funny how we call it 'the big day'?
But what I'm here for other than celebrating the fact it's December is to share with you what you can expect to see on Makeup Savvy over the next month and a little chat about what I will be getting up... because I'm excited!
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