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Winter Essentials || Fashion, Beauty & More!



I have to say Winter is my least favourite time of the year! I love September/October but despite the festive season, by the time December comes around I'm sick of the cold, sick of the dark and also quite possibly sick in general because I always get colds! So, to cheer myself and other winter-haters up, I've put together some of the things that help me through this time of year...



 Of course I have to have my beauty picks in there! I love berry shades and so I've picked out 4 of my favourites. I love the Makeup Revolution Lip Hugs (just £2.50 each!) and my favourite festive shades have to be Saviour Will Come and Still Missing My Baby. They're really nice sheer lip colours that are easy to apply and maintain. Saviour is a red-toned berry whereas Still Missing is a darker purple shade. You can see reviews and swatches here and here.

I also like some more matte evening shades. I love the deep reddy-purple MAC Diva and recently used it in my Festive Makeup Look. Another, slightly more sheeny and bright, shade I love is KIKO's Ace of Diamond Lipstick in Refined Burgundy (review and swatch here). 


The eyeshadow palette I find myself reaching for again and again is the KIKO Queen of Hearts Essential Brown quad (review and swatches here). It looks like a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita but for less than half the price. The shades and the packaging feel so luxury and indulgent - perfect for this time of year! P.S. If you like the look of either of the KIKO products I've featured - grab them fast as they're now in the sale!

In terms of skincare I have to admit my skin isn't that dry even at this time of year so I use quite a gentle exfoliator. The Clinique 7-Day Scrub (review here) doesn't irritate my skin at all and can also be used on lips, which is a time-saver! If you need a hydrating product that's light and breathable but evens out any redness or sallowness, I'd definitely recommend the Nars Pure Radiance Tinted Moisturiser (review here).

Finally for beauty is an indulgent, yummy fragrance and a vampy nail polish. I love the Laura Mercier Eau Gourmande line for this time of year. I got Creme De Pistache last Christmas (review here) and love it but I've had a sniff at the other fragrances and if pistachio isn't for you there are plenty of other rich, luxurious scents in the range. I've been pretty much addicted to Essie's Wicked nail polish (also in my Festive Party Look here) - it's that perfect super-dark red-purple-black.


It wouldn't be December without a Christmas Candle! This year my favourite has to be the Yankee Candle Cookie Swap Jar (post on it here) - which is a blend of their Christmas Cookie (think vanilla shortbread/baking) and Gingerbread fragrances - yum!

I also like to have some cosy little footlets (not available online), which are £3 from Primark. This year I have a festive red and blue pair and they're just great for keeping your feet warm and they're easy to travel with if you're going to be away visiting family. Another stay-warm essential is my Hot Drink Flask - last winter it came with me to every single morning lecture! Mine is from Urban Outfitters (though it's a little cheaper elsewhere) and I love the world map pattern, but any insulating flask will do.

Faux fur and knitwear are two of my favourite things so in my Winter Fashion Haul I managed to find these amazing Miss Selfridge Cardigans which have both! I have both this camel colour and a black one and I've been wearing one of them almost everyday - people must think I'm gross but they're just so easy to throw on to add an extra layer or stay warm in a freezing office. Plus the fur trim makes it look a little more dressy but is detachable for a more casual look.


I always have to have a huge scarf to keep myself insulated. This Zara Double-Sided Scarf is from last year (which is why it looks so well-loved!) but I have recently seen something similar in Primark. I love Zara for Autumn/Winter clothes and their scarves are pretty good value as they're so big and warm and cost just £20. I also have to have a hat - Primark do some amazing ones for £6-8 (you can see my posts on them here and here). It's really important not to lose heath through your head, plus a floppy had or fedora look so stylish.

Finally I have 2 pairs of boots: one for casual wear and one for a slightly smarter look. I'm very clumsy so these are already kind of scuffed! I have a plain black Chelsea Boot from New Look, as my leather ones from Topshop have finally given out. I also have these heeled ones with gold detail from Miss Selfridge. They're actually so comfy and easy to wear (even for me!) - I even wore them for 12 hours straight once all day at work then on the train to London! They're surprisingly cheap for how good they are and add instant chic.


Let me know in the comments if you'd prefer a second post this evening/on Boxing Day or one actually on Christmas day

If I don't see you beforehand have a lovely Christmas - lots of festive love to all you beautiful readers :) 


What are your winter must-haves?


 


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12 comments

  1. The lipsticks have such great colours, but I mostly love these boots!
    Hope you had nice holidays!

    http://superjasmin.blogspot.de/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you - hope you've enjoyed yourself too :) xx

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  2. The cookie candle sounds soooooo yummy!!
    xprincessjas | ♥

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  3. I am obsessed with those footlets, so cosy but with none of the bulk of slippers, genius!

    Emily x

    http://offbeatemily.blogspot.com/

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  4. Omg I love the look of those foot lets so toasty

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  5. Yes to cosy socks and candles - that one sounds like it smells amazing! I need to get myself a hot flask because I would love to have a cuppa with me in the car on the freezing morning drives!

    Kat x
    KatHorrocks.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it's super-yummy! And a hot drink makes winter mornings so much more bearable! xx

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  6. Replies
    1. Definitely want to get my hands on it again next year :) xx

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