The Importance of Gifting

**This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Boots**

Christmas time is the one time of year when everyone has something in common - buying gifts. We all buy gifts at other times of the year, but Christmas is when we all come together and collectively buy gifts for our nearest and dearest. But with the cost of living being so high, kids to look after, work to do etc it can often become something we view as a chore and not as a pleasure and privilege. Because ultimately that's what gifting is: a privilege. And it's so important to remember that.

Gift Guide: The Perfect Stocking Fillers

As exciting as it is to find out what's under the tree on Christmas morning, it's also exciting to see what's hidden in your stocking. In our house, the stockings are a lead up to the 'bigger stuff' that Santa brings and puts under the tree. Stocking fillers are an essential part of gift buying, but it's also hard to pick what you get as there's just so much choice now! I've narrowed down to my favourites, which include something for everyone and meet the criteria I have for stocking fillers - fun, affordable, needed and or/novelty. So here is my Gift Guide: The Perfect Stocking Fillers edit...

Indeed Labs Launches on ASOS!

When you've been beauty shopping, you've probably noticed the brightly coloured boxes, and when you've been reading blogs and checking out what's new on Insta, you've probably seem the seamless and pristine looking white tubes and bottles. Yes, the likelihood that you've probably already seen the products from Indeed Laboratories is high, but now they've launched on Asos you're sure to see them a lot more!

Gift Guide: The Candle Edit

If there's one thing I love as much as make-up, it's scented candles. Scented Candles are my thing. I've got far too many to count in my house and I constantly have them burning to make my home smell lovely. We wear perfume for ourselves, so why wouldn't we scent our house too? Plus you can get some absolutely amazing scented candles and it would be a shame to stick to just one wouldn't it? So I tend to buy them all, yes, I buy a LOT of candles because I love them so much. Plus candles make such fantastic gifts - everyone loves a good scented candle after all. You can't go wrong with giving a scented candle as a gift, it's just about finding the right one for the person you're giving it to. So, to make life easier, from one candle addict to another, here's my 2017 Gift Guide: The Candle Edit...

If You Buy One Thing From Stila...

Not gunna lie, but Stila have blown it out of the water this year haven't they? Their liquid eye shadows have become cult classics, because never before have we been able to get glitter eyeshadow with that much pigment in one sweep of the brush. Nope, glitter lids have taken multiple steps to achieve a similar coverage and I really feel like this is the product that have put Stila on the make-up map for good. So naturally I was bouncing with excitement when I saw their Christmas exclusive sets this year!

Gift Guide For The Grown Up Disney Fan

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! The start of the 2017 Lady Writes Christmas Gift Guides! I have been SUPER excited to start these posts and have been frantically collating the best of the best for each category I had in mind. (It's made for some seriously fun shopping trips, let me tell you!) I thought I'd kick off my Gift Guides with a bit of a fun one, and one that all the girlie-girls out there will love...Gift Ideas For The Grown Up Disney Fan.

Five Steps To The Perfect Christmas Cup Of Tea

**This is a sponsored post**

I don't know about you, but I love a good cup of tea. In fact, there's not much in life that can't be helped with a good old cup of tea. Being British, we're known for our love of the classic brew, and I am nothing without my morning cup to get me going. This time of year is prime-time-cosy-tea-drinking-time isn't it? Snuggly blankets, fluffy socks, Christmas film on and a lovely cup of tea to finish it off nicely.

Something Sweet Smelling For Winter: DKNY Nectar Love

You'll likely have seen me rave about this fragrance on social media, because quite frankly I am in love with it. I've tried a lot of perfumes recently (I spent far longer than I care to admit mooching round the fragrance section in Selfridges at the weekend) and found some absolute corkers. But this one is pretty special because I've not smelt anything similar - it's a very unique scent and I'm absolutely loving it.

My Three-Step Daily Skincare Routine

This year I've been on a one-woman mission to overhaul my skincare routine. I am so fortunate that I get to try a lot of fantastic new skincare products and see what works for me in the short term and the long term. I will often switch up my moisturisers, my face masks, treatments and serums but for years and years I have always been loyal to the same three step basic system. And no matter how many alternatives I've tried, I've always gone back to the same brand afterwards as my trusty failsafe. However this year I turned 30 and although I haven't noticed any wrinkles, I did decide it was time to change my skincare systems completely in preparation for the changes that my skin might see.

Mii Cosmetics Do Christmas!

I am in my element right now. The amount of gorgeous Christmas collections on the market is making for a very happy Beauty Blogger - but also a slightly broke one! (Please tell me I'm not the only one who just can't resist all these pretty, limited edition sets?!) Christmas is one of my favourite times of year anyway, I've always loved it. I love everything about the festive season - including the make-up and beauty sets that just can't be beaten!

Falling In Love With Vinylux Nails

Having my nails done is my 'thing'. It's been my little monthly treat to myself for ages, and seeing as one of my friends has her own salon, it's always been fun to catch up with her while getting my nails done. The problem with this now is that with a baby and a new business on top of everything else, well, I barely have time to do anything these days! Including getting my precious gel manicure!

30 Things I've Learnt in 30 Years

Seeing as I turned 30 yesterday, it seemed like the appropriate time to have a bit of fun and also seriously reflect on some of the many things I've learnt in the past 30 years.Some are silly and lighthearted, some are a touch more serious, but altogether I'd say these are some of the most profound...except the one about chocolate and Gin...

The L'Occitane Classic Advent Calendar

It's time to open another Beauty Advent Calendar folks! I am seriously loving this process and I'm going to be gutted when I don't have any left to open (I should probably actually save one for December, shouldn't I?!) Today's Advent Calendar reveal is a special one, it's the gorgeous Classic Advent Calendar from L'Occitane!

New In From L'Oreal - Merry Metals & More

If there's one collection I've been excited to write about, it's the new releases from L'Oreal. They have surpassed all expectations and seriously knocked it out of the park with their Merry Metals Collection and various other bits and pieces recently and I've been a very happy Blogger trying it all out.

Three Budget Beauty Advent Calendars That Won't Break The Bank

As you know, I'm currently working my way through reviewing some of beauty's biggest brand Advent Calendar's. And as a Christmas addict, I am LOVING the process! I'm a sucker for advent calendars and I've loved seeing them evolve over the last few years, getting bigger and better and now we're at the point where you can get an advent calendar for almost anything you like. Obviously, my favourites are the Beauty Calendars, so I've been researching all manner and type of them.

Getting The Glow With Iconic London Illuminators

One product type I've come to love and use daily this year, is liquid highlighters. I've been as much a fan of highlighting as the next girl, but I was late to the party with liquid highlighters. However one of the first brands I tried for this was Iconic London, and they're still the one I come back to time after time.

The Perfect Scent for Autumn & Winter: Michael Kors Sexy Ruby

I am a huge fan of Michael Kors fragrances. I have three different ones on my dressing table at the moment and others which I regularly rebuy. (I have a birthday coming up so I'm hoping my boyfriend has picked up on my hints!) I find the Michael Kors fragrances to be pretty much my ideal scents. They aren't too sweet, but carry a really nice level of musk. And I love musky fragrances. So when I tried Sexy Ruby, their newest fragrance, in-store recently, I knew I had to have it.

GlamGlow Dream Duo Overnight Transforming Treatment

One of the best ways to get a huge skincare hit is by using overnight treatments and masks. During the day we move, talk, eat and drink, which affects what's on our skin. Not to mention UV, pollution and other external factors. Therefore nighttime is prime time for skincare. Solid hours of sleep provide a blank canvas for our skin, and minimal movement and external factors mean our skin can really soak up what we put on it. Plus we all usually finish our day with a skincare regime, so it's the perfect time to apply a new extra step. These are all reasons why I have really enjoyed nighttime treatments and masks in the past few months.

YOU Beauty Advent Calendar

Another day, another Advent Calendar! These are some of my favourite posts to write at the moment and this one is giving me all the feels. In fact, I've gone positively heart-eye-emoji over this little beauty. (See what I did there?) And I *may* have already started using the vast majority of the products inside because the brands included are all fantastic. Hand picked by the Beauty Team at YOU Magazine, this Advent Calendar gets a lot of attention, and it's easy to see why. For only £60 you get over £230 worth of products. What's more, you get lots of money-off vouchers and codes to use on the brands included. Which makes it even better value for money.

Two From Too Faced For A Matte Finish

Oh Too Faced, how I love thee. Especially because the two newest additions to my collection are bang-on for my skin. I often talk about my oily skin, and how many problems it causes me. I'm not talking about lightly oily skin, I'm talking looking-like-an-oil-slick oily. Yeh, it's not pretty! There are so many downfalls to having really oily skin, mostly that skincare can be a pain to find because lots of things seem to make the oil secretion worse. The other biggest problem is with make-up and getting it to stay on my face. It's not easy. Especially after a few hours when the oil seems to make the make-up literally slide off my face sometimes! For this reason I am forever trying new products to help me look oil free and retain my favourite make-up finish: matte.

Comfort Zone Christmas Gift Sets

I love this time of year, and seeing as we're in November I am so excited to finally start talking about all the amazing Christmas launches that are happening! I featured my first Beauty Advent Calendar a few days ago (check it out here!) and now here's my first post on dedicated Christmas Sets! It's time to jingle those bells!

Kiko Milano Asian Touch Capsule Collection

Kiko are a brand who never fail to get their collections wrong. Their limited edition ranges have been some of my favourites to try this year and one of their newest is the Asian Touch Capsule Collection. Designed with fashion brand Isa Arfen, the collection is pretty special for capturing eastern cultures and helping to create a true geisha style at home.

The M&S Beauty Advent Calendar 2017

It's all getting very exciting now: with Christmas well and truly in our sights. Which means it's time to start thinking about Advent Calendars - one of my favourite pre-Christmas rituals! Every year Marks & Spencer bring out an Advent Calendar and as much as I've loved previous years' - this one is pretty special! I've had the pleasure of getting a sneak peak at it, and the goodies inside. So if you're looking for a fabulous beauty Advent Calendar this year, then read ahead - but beware, there's spoilers!