Christmas Gift Guide for Him | 2018
The final post in my series of gift guides... it's all about what to get the important men in your life. I've let the boyf take the reigns on this one and pick items that he himself would like or would know plenty of other men would enjoy. As always, I've split into three categories- budget, mid-range and luxury. Happy shopping!
Budget Buys
- 52 Things to Do While You Poo - £6.99
Men are always on the toilet, so what a perfect little stocking filler.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol2 Vinyl - £15.99
Marvel fans will love this vinyl.
If you and your other half love travelling, this is a great gift. With stunning photography, it provides inspiration, information and tips.
Mid-Range
- Have a Good Day Orange Hoodie - £49.00
I love this... I might even buy one for myself.
- Hugo Boss Bottled Night - £34.99 to £85.00
- Nerf Modulus Regulator - £32.99
Ooh La Luxury
My boyfriend and I are massive JBL fans. I bought him JBL headphones last Christmas and he loves them. With great bass, these are perfect for the gym, noisy train journeys or gaming.
- GoPro Hero7 - £279.99
The latest GoPro to be released, Hero 7 has everything that made the previous models so iconic but with several new features including hypersmooth image stabilisation, improved audio and live-streaming, just to name a few.
- Land Away Double Flying Lesson - £249.00
I hope you found inspiration from this gift guide, even if it was just for yourself!
Catherine x
Christmas Gift Guide for Her | 2018
Time for the second of my Christmas gift guides, this time all about the galsss! Hopefully you'll be able to find something for the women in your life! If you're after solely beauty items, check out my Beauty Christmas Gift Guide.
As before, it's split into three sections and hopefully covers all budgets, happy reading!
Budget Buys
- Friends 2019 Calendar - £9.99
This makes a great lil stocking filler for anyone that's still Friends obsessed- I mean, who isn't??
- How to Raise a Plant Book - £12.99
A lovely coffee table book for any novice plant parent. With tips on how to choose plants and most importantly, how to care for them, it's a lovely gift for a house plant enthusiast... and there seems to be a lot of them atm!
I love glass trinket trays. They are perfect for keeping on your bedside table and popping all your jewellery in at the end of the day. I also use one to display my perfumes. The pressed flowers are an extra nice touch.
Mid-Range Love
You can never go wrong with a candle. Standard. This one has 3 wicks, 80 hours of burning time and is a great decorative piece.
- KADO Cocktail Gift Set - £29
I've always been a cocktail lover, but I never really made them at home... until I got a shaker. Now I make them alllll the time! This set not only comes with the shaker but has everything else you will need for the perfect cocktails.
- Zara Colour Block Cable-Knit Sweater - £49.99
The ultimate cosy jumper.
I know so many people already have an instax camera but it makes a great gift for anyone that's not on the polaroid trend just yet. If you wanna go all out, you can get her accessories too, such as a case, extra films or lenses.
Rose gold and marble- do I have to say anything else? ha! I loooove this, so stylish, so elegant and so luxurious. It is guaranteed to look amazing on a dressing table!
We're definitely talking luxury now. With the classic handbag shape and modern colours, this bag will become her style staple. A luxury gift for that someone special!
Hope you enjoyed and found some inspiration from my second post in my series of gift guides. Don't forget to check out my beauty gift guide and come back in a few days for my third and final Christmas gift guide- what to get the men in your life!
Catherine x
Beauty Christmas Gift Guide | 2018
I can't believe we're already talking Christmas. Every year seems to fly by and this year is no different. It's time for cosy nights, mulled wine, get togethers and parties. It also means Christmas shopping, which may inject you with fear. I normally do all mine online to avoid the crowds! But wherever I shop, I love using gift guides for inspiration and to help me when i'm stuck in a rut. SO, I thought it'd be helpful to create my own gift guide this year.
This is the first of 3 Christmas gift guides i'll be posting on my blog. Each guide will have budget, mid-range and luxury items, to cover everyone's needs. This one, as you can tell by the title, is all about beauty. So lets dive in....
Budget Friendly Options
These items cost no more than £20 and are great gifts for friends or family if you're on a budget. They'd also be great as stocking fillers or secret santa prezzies!
Mid-Range Beauty Treats
Ooh la luxury
These items cost no more than £20 and are great gifts for friends or family if you're on a budget. They'd also be great as stocking fillers or secret santa prezzies!
These bath salts use biodegradable glitter (very important) to turn bathwater gold and shimmery. And the prosecco scent makes it the perfect pamper evening treat!
- Essie Nail Polish Candy Box- £14.99
A lovely selection of three nail polishes, perfect for Essie fans or nail polish fans in general.
I think this is a really thoughtful gift for anyone you know who struggles to sleep. The deep sleep pillow spray and stress check roll on are two of their bestsellers and really do work a treat!
Everyone knows i'm obsessed with the Stila liquid lipstick in Perla. I've mentioned it so many times it's now boring and even classed it as my favourite liquid lipstick! Sets are great ways to try a few colours and this one features a gorgeous range from nudes to deep reds. This is going on my Christmas list....
Brow lovers rejoice- this kit has everything you need! Perfect for eyebrow obsessed gals or maybe for a friend who has never got on the brow train before. It comes in three shades- light, medium and deep, and I think it's pretty good value at £31.50. They also do a 'defined and refined set' and 'soft and natural set'.
Eyeshadow lovers or Naked palette lovers will love the new Urban Decay release for Christmas. With 12 new shades, featuring mattes and shimmers, and ranging from ivory to rose gold to black cherry, this has everything needed for daytime glam or festive party!
- The Dolce Vita Eye Kit -£80.00
Charlotte Tilbury for me is ultimate luxury. Charlotte does several of these kits but I love a bronze and copper toned eye, so Dolce Vita is the one for me. With eyeliner and mascara, it has everything you need for creating a smokey eye, just in time for New Year.
The latest limited edition Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette, featuring four bestselling powders and two new shades. A great investment for travelling or makeup junkies.
- Jo Malone Cologne Collection- £70.00
Discover 5 of Jo Malone's beautiful fragrances with this collection. Perfect for travelling, trying a few scents before investing in one or for mixing and matching.
So there, the first of my Christmas gift guides. Hope you found some inspiration, maybe just for your own Christmas list... Check back in a few days for the next one!
Catherine x
OOTD | Autumn Day
I have been loving this outfit recently. It features this beaut bat wing jumper from Pull & Bear, high waisted mom jeans from Missguided and my go-to heeled boots.
I've also been loving tucking in my tops recently. There's something about it that makes you look more put together. I still like to wear this jumper not tucked in, it's quite flowy and baggy, but goes with just about everything.
It was unusually warm for autumn when I shot these photos, but throw on a leather jacket and your good to go even when the temperature hits single figures.
What's your go-to style in autumn?
*Outfit Details*
*Outfit Details*
- Pull & Bear Jumper: I couldn't find the exact jumper online as it is over a year old but i've found one that's similar!
- Missguided High Waisted Mom Jeans
- New Look Heeled Boots
- Again, my Topshop backpack isn't stocked anymore but i've found some similar bags: Asos backpack / Pull&Bear backpack /
Catherine x
Pumpkin Picking
For the first time ever, I went pumpkin picking last week.
I've always been an avid follower of traditions and festivities, so I always carve a pumpkin, even at 23... But i'd never picked my own pumpkin, always just bought one from a shop. I don't know if it's a relatively new thing, but I can never remember pumpkin picking farms being around when I was a kid, not near me anyway. But, it was so fun! The farm was huge and there were several fields full of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. We spent nearly two hours looking for the perfect pumpkins! (I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I had an image in mind of what I wanted).
There was something about it that was so enjoyable and made me feel so autumnal and cosy. I know i'm going to get even more satisfaction from carving my pumpkins because I picked them myself. And this is going to be something we do every year. I guess i'm just a big kid at heart...
What's your favourite thing to do in autumn?
The Perfect Autumn Cupcakes
I can't believe how quick this year has gone, we're already well into autumn. Now that the colder weather has well and truly set in (other than last Wednesday when it hit 22 degrees??) my love for everything autumnal is coming out! That includes baking. I love baking in autumn and winter. There's something so cosy about it. Hellooo cinnamon!
I recently made these delicious spiced apple cupcakes with salted caramel frosting. They are the perfect autumn cupcakes! The cake part is light and fluffy, and anything with salted caramel gets a nod from me.
Cupcakes:
Salted Caramel Frosting:
Method:
This made 12 decent sized cupcakes.
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
- 115g butter
- 135g light brown sugar
- 65g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 80ml milk
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 190g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground / grated nutmeg
- 1 large apple / 2 small applies
Salted Caramel Frosting:
- 115g butter
- 200g light brow sugar
- 80ml double cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 240g icing sugar
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C (fan oven) and line a muffin tin with cupcake cases.
- For the cupcakes, melt the butter and whisk with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar, until well combined.
- Next, add the eggs, vanilla extract and milk, and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and gently stir until combined. The batter will have a few lumps but don't worry this is fine!
- Peel the apple(s) and chop into small chunks. Add to the batter.
- Fill the cases and bake for 20 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when the cupcakes are done. Wait for them to cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, over a medium heat, melt the butter in a pan. Add in the brown sugar and two tablespoons of the double cream. Whisk this until the sugar is dissolved.
- Next add the salt and allow the mixture to bubble for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for around 30 minutes.
- Once cool, beat in the rest of the double cream and slowly add the icing sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Use a piping bag to frost the cupcakes and if you want, top with a little slice of apple and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
This made 12 decent sized cupcakes.
Let me know in the comments if you try these and what you think! Happy baking!
Catherine x
Top Ten Under £10
10) Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream- £9.99
9) Sleek Highlighting Palette- Solstice- £9.99
8) Revolution Flawless Matte 2 Palette- £8
7) Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Duo
6) Sleek Face Contour Kit - £6.99
5) Rimmel London Kate Nude Lipsticks- £5.50
4) Soap & Glory Archery Brow Sculpting & Gel- £10
I love the Soap & Glory brow products. It was a toss up between this and the pencil and brush over which one to include. But this is one i'm using at the minute! Love is blonde is a great shade for fair eyebrows. I've often found that cheaper brow products tend to be either super dark or red toned, so don't look natural at all. That definitely isn't the case with this. The clear brow gel on the other end also sets my brows like glue. Winner!
3) Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara- £8.99
The mascara I keep on re-purchasing. Whenever I need to replace it, I endeavour to try something new but always fall back on this. Why fix what's not broken hey?
2) Rimmel Stay Matte Powder- £3.99
3) Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara- £8.99
2) Rimmel Stay Matte Powder- £3.99
This might not be exciting, or a product that stands out but it just had to be included when I use it pretty much everyday. I've used powders 5X more expensive and they've not done as good a job as this. Sometimes cheap is the way to go!
Phew! I managed it! What do you think to this list? Any you wouldn't have and any products you think I should include?
Catherine x
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