December Favourites

So it's no secret that December has been crazy with amazing beauty products. I really had to go full pelt with the blog during the past month to be able to fit everything in! It was a busy old month but I couldn't have loved it any more - I absolutely adore beauty blogging, so I was in my element! Within the past month I've been trying so many wonderful new products that I was literally spoiled for choice with deciding which goodies would make my December Favourites. But I've managed to get the best of the best together for you. So, here's what I've been loving in December....

Top Beauty Sale Picks!

So my recent poll on Twitter revealed that almost all of you wanted me to write this post! Even though it's still technically Christmas (gotta love those in-between Christmas and new Year days) and I'm still spending time eating all the food and drinking the Gin with my family, I wanted to hand pick some of the best Beauty Sale Picks that I could find for you guys. So I've been sourcing the very BEST  deals and hope you'll find something to spend some of your Christmas money on! 

Top Charlotte Tilbury Gifts This Christmas

When it comes to make-up, one of the greats will always be Charlotte Tilbury. I buy a lot of their products and recommend them a lot because the quality is fantastic. Sometimes a little pricey, which can mean it's often out of reach, this Christmas there are some amazing value gift sets that I couldn't wait to recommend. What could be better than the quality of Charlotte Tilbury and the nifty-ness of a Gift Set?! Not much, I'm telling you!

How to Make a Beauty Hamper For Your Mum (And What To Put In It)

When it comes to Christmas, one thing I like to do is create Gift Baskets, Hampers and cute Bundles for my friends and family. I like to find nifty and cute little goodies that will bulk out one or two more expensive gifts and create something really special and unique. The person I do this for mostly is my Mum. I have always spoiled my Mum at Christmas, it's the one time of year I go all out and it's my way of treating her. She lives with my brother and Dad in an all-man house nowdays too, so I feel for her! So it's nice to completely pamper her and indulge her in something special and very girlie.

Getting Festive With Essie

When it comes to Christmas, one little beauty tradition I have is making sure my nails are freshly done for every party and event. I always like to have Christmassy nails to complete an outfit and this year I've had so many wonderful parties and events to go to, it's been the perfect opportunity to flaunt my nails! I usually wear gel nails but that's probably because I've never found a good alternative for normal nail varnish that doesn't chip. So I was super excited when Essie asked me to work with them this Christmas on trying out their Winter Collection!

Gift Guide: The Make Up Edit

This Gift Guide has had me super excited from the moment I started putting it all together! I LOVE make-up. As a beauty blogger I love skincare, nails and haircare a lot, but make-up has my heart. My make-up collection grows by the day with a hefty amount of my time being spent researching new products that I've just got to try. The perks of beauty blogging hey?! Anyway, Christmas is basically a make-up lovers dream. All the special sets and limited edition collections make me swoon. But sometimes, just sometimes, there can be slightly too much to pick from, right? So I decided I'd write a specially dedicated Gift Guide to the top make-up picks this Christmas..

Laura Geller Christmas Collection 2017

I've said multiple times recently that my favourite thing about Christmas in the beauty world, is the sets. Those gorgeous limited edition make-up sets and collections that you wouldn't get at any other time of year - the ones you wait for months to buy! I am a huge fan of splurging on these sets and stocking up, as well as trying some new brands out because these Christmas sets are quite often really great value too.

Five Ways To Save On Your Christmas Shopping

**This is a sponsored post**

When it comes to Christmas, we can all be a bit spendy. I say this, because I get more spendy than at any other time of year and can't resist splurging on friends and family. I love to spoil those close to me, but it's getting harder and harder to justify! With two kids and a wedding to save for, this is the first Christmas I've had to implement the dreaded BUDGET on shopping. Which actually, as it turns out hasn't been all that bad!

Christmas Gifts For Him & Her From Philips

Christmas is that time of year when we get to ask for the things we need as well as the things we would like. We can ask for the novelty, the things we can't justify for ourselves and then the things we need but just don't want to buy! I find that Christmas is the perfect time of year to give electrical gifts - the type of things we all want but may not have the budget for ourselves. Plus with how difficult men can be to buy for at Christmas, electrical's for them especially, are a fail safe. Which is why this year I'm working with Philips again to give a showcase of top picks for him and from her. And you won't go wrong with any of these!

Fun Gift Guide: For Her

This Gift Guide has been one of the most fun to get together! I've been like a big kid playing with all the bits and pieces and feel totally proud (if I do say so myself!) of all the goodies included. Because I can't think of any type of girl who wouldn't LOVE some of these gifts to be under their tree on Christmas morning! Us girly-girls love the nifty, the cute, the retro and the fun - don't we? So I'm sure you'll find some inspiration here to add to your wish-list!

Top Ten Gifts Under £10

Christmas is an expensive time of year. In fact, I was watching the news the other day and it was listing the average spend per person over Christmas, and for my area alone it was £1,100 to £1,500 each! That's a LOT of money. So I thought it would be a good idea to put a post together with my top ten gifts under £10 because buying nice gifts doesn't always need to have a big price tag does it?

Top Gift Picks From Temple Spa

If you follow me on Twitter then you probably already know I am a HUGE fan of Temple Spa. Their products are some of my absolute favourites and are so luxurious they help me recreate a spa day, at home. So when I can't get to the spa, I love the Temple Spa products for helping me relax, unwind and generally chill out. Naturally their products make fantastic gifts at Christmas and they have some really great sets this year which anyone would be over the moon to receive. Not just their sets though, some of their individual products are so luxurious that they alone make fantastic pressies too. So to make it easier, I'm going to give you guys my top picks from Temple Spa this Christmas...

Gift Guide: Gift Sets Edit

I don't know about you, but one of my favourite things to buy at Christmas, are the gorgeous Gift Sets you can get. No matter what you're looking for, you can usually find a version of your chosen product in Gift Set variety. The brilliance of this means that you get the usually full sized product that you were looking for, but with added items and therefore greater value - and usually for a great price that isn't much more than the original item alone would be!

What to Pick Up From Kiehl's This Christmas

It's no secret that Kiehl's are a brand I hold in high esteem. After I worked with them on their Limited Edition Ultra Facial Cream campaign which supported Autism Speaks (a cause very close to my heart) I have formed a greater bond with their products. Such a great brand anyway, their products are excellent quality and I've already purchased a gift set for my other half this Christmas! And I know he's going to love it because I hand picked what will work best for his extra sensitive skin. But if you're a little stuck with which items to pick this Christmas, I've put together some of my current favourites to help you out...

Gift Guide: The Perfume Edit

A firm hit with ladies everywhere at Christmas, is perfume. I am overjoyed to receive perfume at Christmas and quite often I 'stock up' on my favourites and ask my friends and family for my daily staples, and usually have enough to get me through the year. Plus perfume will always be the sort of gift that speaks of indulgence - to give the gift of perfume at Christmas is a way of delivering a fail-safe gift that's luxurious and will make the recipient feel valued and truly treated.

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 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.