Selfridges Luxury Christmas Gift Ideas

We all love a little bit of luxury every now and then and I love browsing Selfridges' website online, looking through and lusting over all of the high-end beauty brands that they stock! As you can imagine, now that we are in the run up to Christmas, I have been doing this quite a lot lately and so I thought why not make a mini Christmas gift guide showing you some of the best festive gift sets on offer right now! Of course, these products do not come cheap, so they would perfect to add to your Christmas list or to buy for a loved one if your budget can allow it! Within this little gift guide, there a few slightly more affordable options as well as some extravagant ones thrown in there for good measure too. So, here are the six gift sets featured in today's post;

Tom Ford Lip Colour Set / Urban Decay Vice 4 Eyeshadow Palette / Charlotte Tilbury K.i.s.s.i.n.g Mini Lipstick Trio / Jo Malone Cologne Intense Collection / Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Gift Set / Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effect Mascara Gift Set

As I'm sure you would agree, all of these sets look absolutely amazing - everything from the packaging to the products themselves scream all things luxurious and fancy! I, for one, would loooove to find any of these beauties underneath my tree on Christmas morning! Please let me know which of these gifts you would love to receive the most by leaving a comment below and remember to come back soon to check out more festive themed posts all throughout December!

D&G's Light Blue Sunset In Salina

Ever since I received the original Light Blue as a birthday present back in my teenage years, I have always had a love affair with this infamous Dolce & Gabbana fragrance! So, when I recently smelt the newest scent in the range, I knew I just had to have it. Therefore, my parents ever so kindly picked up a bottle for me whilst on holiday as a gift for looking after everything, (mostly my dog,) whilst they were away! So, today I thought that I would give you a little overview of the newest perfume in my collection and what I think about it so far.

D&G's Light Blue Sunset In Salina Eau de Toilette is a perfect fragrance for every day wear. It is a lovely summer scent, although you can bet that I will be wearing this almost every day as we enter into autumn too! It has strong top notes of vine and violet leaves, as well as base notes of amber, cedarwood and white musk & beautiful heart notes of yellow freesia, orange flower and jasmine. All of these scents combined create the most gorgeous fresh and floral scent, which is right up my alley! Although it isn't the longest lasting scent that I own, I love its subtlety and its warmth. there's something about it that definitely reminds me of a hot summers night abroad!

There are a lot similarities between the original Light Blue and this summer edition, and some of the fragrances notes do cross over, but Sunset In Salina has a much fresher smell. Light Blue is a lot fruitier than this more recent addition as it contains top notes of Sicilian citron. So, in terms of which perfume is better, I'd say it's all down to personal preference!

Sunset In Salina comes in two sizes; 25ml, which will set you back £42.00, and 50ml costing £50.00. However, if you get in quickly, Boots have slashed their prices to £28.00 and £33.33 respectively - which is an amazing saving! 

Overall, even though summer is now over, I would still recommend picking up this perfume as it is absolutely divine! It's a great fragrance that is daytime appropriate and not too overpowering. Have you ever tried D&G's Light Blue before? What is your favourite scent right now? Please let me know by popping a comment down below!

Daisy Dreamin'

Hi guys, apologies for not blogging in over a week now! Unfortuantely, my computer went in for repair and I have only just gotten it back. It's safe to say that I didn't realise how much I would miss not having access to a keyboard for a week, I have been going stir crazy! With that being said, however, I am now completely ready to get back into the swing of blogging once again.

The other week, my parents went on holiday to Jersey and purchased me a brand spanking new bottle of perfume whilst in duty free - Marc Jacobs' 'Daisy Dream.' I have been a huge fan of Marc Jacobs for a while now, after already having both the 'Honey' and original 'Daisy' perfumes in my collection. So, I was pretty certain that I would love this new addition to my perfume collection too... and boy, was I right!

'Daisy Dream' is a gorgeously light and subtle fragrance that is perfect for every day wear, although I can imagine that it will smell even more amazing as we enter into the spring and summer months too. It totally has that airy, ethereal kind of vibe to it! This is because as well as it being quite a floral fragrance, it also has some more fruity elements to it too. It truly is a wonderful combination of everything that I look for in a perfume to be honest!

Here is a full list of the notes and scents that feature within 'Daisy Dream': 

Top Notes - blackberry, grapefruit & pear
Heart Notes - jasmine, lychee & blue wisteria
Base Notes - white woods, musks & coconut water

In addition to mentioning how lovely the scent itself is, I would also like to touch on its amazing packaging too! The same as with any other Marc Jacobs perfume, this bottle is to die for. I am obsessed with the simplistic yet beautiful flowers that surround the top and the lid of the bottle! I think its pretty safe to say that this is going to look so special on my shelf where I keep the rest of my perfumes in my bedroom.

This lovely eau de toilette is available in three different sizes: 30ml for £38.50, 50ml for £51.50 and 100ml for £69.50 (all prices are according to the Boots website.) If you love the fragrance as much as I do, you could also purchase a matching shower gel or body lotion too. Alternatively, you could just buy the amazing gift set for a fantastic £54.00, which would make for a wonderful gift for a loved one - or as a treat to yourself!

Overall, whether you are looking into buying Daisy Dream for yourself or for a friend, I would highly recommend it! It is just the most fruity and floral fragrance, yet it is incredibly subtle and sophisticated at the same time. It's a must buy in my eyes!

My Boots Christmas Present Picks: Part 2

Hi guys! Welcome back to part two of my Boots Christmas gift guide. If you missed part 1 of this post on Tuesday where I focused on all things make-up and bath & body, then where have you been?! In that post, I explained that I like to start planning out and buying presents for my loved ones as early as possible. This is because I am an extremely organised person but also because I hate the last minute rush in all of the shops, I would much rather avoid the laborious queues and mad dashes to the till! 

As I also mentioned in the first half of this post, Boots is one of my favourite places to shop for Christmas presents when it comes to the ladies in my life. I love that there is so much variety and gifts that span all different price ranges, so you are certain to find something that is not only perfect for each person on your shopping list but that also suits your budget too! So, I thought that it would be a great idea to show you all some of the amazing items that I have come across on the Boots website. Hopefully my little gift guide will give you some inspiration as to what to buy your friends and family, or perhaps you will see something that you want to add onto your own Christmas list. Todays categories are fragrance and skin care, so without any further ado, let's see what I have found!

DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum Gift Set - £34.99

Prada Candy Florale Eau de Toilette Gift Set - £49.50

Marc Jacobs Eau de Parfum Gift Set - £49.50

Benefit Delecta-belles Crescent Row Fragrance Set - £29.50

Bleach London Spin The Bleach Bottle Kit - £12.00

Mark Hill Blonde Bombshell Gift Set - £10.00

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Mini Kit - £16.00

Toni & Guy Create The Look Tousled Waves - £14.00

So, that's it for part two of my Boots Christmas Present Picks! I hope you have enjoyed this little two part series and I am hoping that it has given you tons of inspiration for your Christmas shopping. Which gift featured today is your favourite? Feel free to let me know by leaving a comment below. As we have only just entered into November, I am sure that I will be doing a few more gift related posts in the next few weeks and as we go into December, so remember to keep your eyes peeled for those too. Thank you!

Vera Wang's Lovestruck Floral Rush Perfume

Hi guys. As you may or may not know, it was my 20th birthday last Wednesday and one of my main presents from my parents was Vera Wang's Lovestruck Floral Rush perfume. Lovestruck Floral Rush is a newer version of Vera Wang's original Lovestruck perfume but with you've guessed it, more of a floral twist! I had been lusting after this fragrance ever since I spritzed it on myself in my local Debenhams a few months ago. Hence, my Mum kindly went back and bought it for me! So, today I thought that I would do a mini review telling you all a bit more about this perfume and what I think of it so far. Let's get started!

Sizes & Pricing
This eau de parfum is available in three different sizes; 30ml , 50ml and 100ml. The size I have is the 30ml bottle which is priced at £35.00 on the Debenhams website, though the price does seem to vary slightly on other various beauty websites. Similarly, the 50ml bottle is usually around the £48.00 mark and a 100ml bottle will set you back roughly £62.00.

Fragrance Notes
The main notes of Lovestruck Floral Rush include champagne accord, pink passion flower and cashmere woods. The scent is, of course, predominantly floral but the addition of cashmere wood ensures that it is not too over-powering or sickly sweet. Although the scent is relatively light, there is a slight musk to it that makes it a little more sophisticated and sexy.

Longevity
In terms of how long this fragrance lasts on the skin, I think that it is incredibly long-wearing. I typically apply one spritz on my wrist and then rub both wrists together, as well as one on both sides of my neck and this seems to do the trick. Throughout the day as I am moving about, I always catch a whiff of the scent and it smells just as good as when it's first applied! As this is a special perfume, I will not be using it every day and so I hope that this bottle will last me a while too.

Packaging
The packaging of this perfume is what initially drew me in. My favourite colour is purple, so it immediately attracted my attention. I absolutely adore the lid which features three cute purple flowers, as well as the floral patterned bow around it. There is no doubt about it that this bottle is a real show stopper and it will look great displayed on your dressing table or shelf!

Overall, anybody who is a fan of floral scents will love this perfume. Not only does it smell gorgeous but of course, the pretty purple packaging is to die for too! I am so pleased that I received this as one of my birthday presents, I can quickly see it becoming my new favourite fragrance! If you are interested in what else I got presents wise, please check out Part 1 & Part 2 of 'What I Got For My 20th Birthday.' I hope you all enjoyed this mini review of Vera Wang's Lovestruck Floral Rush perfume. Have you tried this scent before? What is your favourite fragrance to wear? Please feel free to let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

My Perfume Collection

Hi guys. Today I thought that I would share some of my perfume collection with you. I do have a couple of other bottles in my collection but these five above are definitely my favourites of the bunch. I think that perfume is quite a personal thing, as everybody tends to have a preference as to the types of scents the enjoy wearing. I myself usually sway towards floral or citrus scents because they are quite light and fresh, which I think suit me way better than heavier, spicier scents. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading about my personal favourites. Let's get started!

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette (50ml) - £47.50
First up is the ever so popular Marc Jacobs 'Daisy.' I received this perfume from my parents near the end of 2012 and as you can see, I am nearing the end of the bottle which I am pretty sad about. As you can probably guess from its title, 'Daisy' is an incredibly floral perfume including notes of violet petals and violet leaves. In addition, the base notes have a hint of vanilla and musk in them to make the perfume a little more balanced and less sickly sweet. I absolutely adore the packaging as it is very girly yet simple at the same time, it looks lovely on my shelf display too. I definitely want to repurchase another bottle!

Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna Eau de Parfum (50ml) - £29.00
Next up is probably my favourite perfume of all time, I have gotten through three or four bottles of this already and I'm almost running out again! It has notes of hibiscus flowers, violet and coconut water which admittedly, does sound a little peculiar on paper but it smells heavenly. The overall scent is fruity yet musky, which is exactly what I love in a perfume. Whenever I wear this, I always get compliments on how I smell and I think it has become my signature scent over the past few years! As for the packaging, the black and gold running round the bottle is simple yet sophisticated - which is an added bonus in my book!

Diesel Loverdose Eau de Parfum (30ml) - £30.00
I first got this perfume when I was a bit younger and the main reason that I wanted it was because I was obsessed that the bottle was a purple heart with a stake running through it (what a saddo!) Loverdose is not a perfume that I would usually go for due to the fact that it contains a liquorice scent, which is something that I really don't like (to eat or to smell.) However, mixed with top notes of mandarin & star anise and base notes of dry wood, it really works well. The fragrance is definitely the strongest in my collection and it lingers for hours, I prefer to wear this scent at night time as it can be a little overpowering during the day.

Yves Saint Laurent Elle Eau de Parfum (90ml) - £78.50

This gorgeous perfume used to be my 'signature scent' that I was obsessed with before I started using Reb'l Fleur. The fuchsia coloured bottled with the gold YSL logo, (it somehow looks silver in the photo,) looks really pretty and classy on my bedroom shelving. Although its original price tag is rather steep, I got it in duty free and so I can assure you that I did not pay eighty pounds for it! The fragrance itself is first and foremost floral, with notes peonies and pink berries running though it. However, do not be fooled into thinking this is a light perfume. I cannot quite put my finger on it but this scent manages to be flowery yet sexy at the same time. Similarly to Loverdose, it is lovely to use at night time!

Marc Jacobs Honey Eau de Parfum (50ml) - £46.99
Last but no means least is the most recent addition to my collection, Honey, which I received from my parents for Christmas along with the matching shower gel and body wash. This perfume has notes of honey along with orange blossom, peach nectar, apricots, pears and mandarins. So, as you can probably tell, this is definitely a fruity and sweet spring/summer scent. The bee inspired bottle is also really cute and is obviously a nice little touch, given the name of the fragrance. I am trying to save this fragrance for the warmer months but I do wear it from time to time when I need a quick pick-me-up!

So, I hope you all enjoyed having a little peep into my perfume collection. It was pretty hard to whittle it down to my favourite five as I do have a couple more that I do really enjoy using. Have you tried any of these fragrances before? What did you think of them?

Boots Christmas Gift Guide 2013

In a few days it will be the first full weekend of December and so, many of us will be starting our Christmas shopping (if we haven't done so already!) I, for one, like to make my Christmas shopping as stress-free as possible, as we all know how busy the hustle and bustle of our local high streets and shopping centres can be at this time of year. With that in mind, I am very happy that I picked up a Boots Christmas Gift Guide this year because I can now look at and plan what I am going to buy for each of my loved ones before I hit the shops. Now, don't be fooled, Boots doesn't just cater for those who love beauty and personal care items. Boots has a wide range of products in the following categories: gift for women, gifts for men, gifts for kids and general gifts for everyone to enjoy.

In addition, the guide also has a Christmas Gift List where you can write down what you want to buy for each person. I think that this is a great way to keep yourself on top of everything, crossing off the presents on your list as you buy them. So, without rambling on for too long, let's see what gifts that I recommend from this amazing catalogue!

Gifts for beauty lovers

First up is this lovely Soap & Glory Bubble Barrelled kit (£18.00) which features some of the brands most coveted products including a shower gel, hand cream, foot cream, body butter, body scrub and shampoo. This bundle also has a cute headband thrown in for good measure, which you could wear during your huge pamper session! I think that this would be the perfect present for any beauty lover because not only are the products amazing, but the packaging is really gorgeous too! There are also many other Soap & Glory gift sets to choose from in the catalogue covering all price ranges, so I recommend having a look at what's on offer!

Gifts for fragrance lovers

If you have a slightly higher budget to spend, why not buy your loved one this lovely Marc Jacobs Dot Gift Set? This product includes the eau de parfum (50ml,) plus a body lotion and shower gel (both 75ml.) I think that this gift set is excellent value for money as it is the same price that the fragrance would be if sold separately, which is £49.50. This perfume is a very floral scent with hints of vanilla and jasmine, which smells divine. I would also recommend a few of the other Marc Jacobs perfumes such as Daisy, Honey and Lola.

Gifts for £10 and under

Next up, the Boots Extracts range offers many gifts for those of us with a slightly smaller budget. The Extracts Super Cranberry Collection (£10.00) includes a body wash, body butter and body scrub. This range feels really luxurious on the skin despite its value for money. Plus, the lovely cranberry smell is perfect for Christmas. The Extracts collection has many other scents to choose from. Another favourite of mine is the Mango Collection Wash Bag which is even more affordable at just £6! This set is essentially the same as the Cranberry Collection minus the body scrub and it is packaged in a vibrant wash bag instead of in a box.

Gifts for men

This Topman T-Shirt Gift, £25.00, is a great gift for the man in your life. This set includes a 100ml bottle of Topman's No.27 eau de parfum, which I have actually smelt before and I love it! The t-shirt is plain black with a white V-shape motif on the pocket. Unfortunately, the only down side to this gift is that the t-shirt is only provided in a medium (if only there were size options!) If you wanted to go for something a little cheaper, the Boxer Shorts Gift Set features a pair of boxer shorts (again only medium sizes available) with the same design as the t-shirt and a body spray for £12.00 instead.

Gifts for food lovers

Last but not least is the selection of Nandos gifts on offer. The Chilli Planter and Sauce Set (£12.50) contains a hot sauce, a packet of chilli seeds and a ceramic pot to grow your own chillis in - which is kind of cool in my opinion! For the same price, you could also treat your food lover to the Nandos Table Trio. This set contains both the medium and hot peri-peri sauces along with a pot of the ever so popular peri-peri chip sprinkle. If none of these presents tickle your taste buds, Boots also have many other food brands within the gift guide including Wahaca and Food Nation.

I hope that both this post and the gift guide makes your Christmas shopping a stress-free experience by giving you plenty of ideas as what to buy for your friends and family. I hope that you are all getting into the festive spirit as I have plenty more Christmas-themes posts coming your way this month, so keep your eyes peeled!

My Monthly Favourites - November 2013

Hi guys! It's that time of the month again where I show you what I have been loving product-wise throughout November. It's hard to believe that Christmas is now upon us and as cliché as it sounds, this year has gone ridiculously fast! This is my second ever monthly favourites post which is rather shocking seeing as I have been blogging now for eight months now. The reason I held off for so long is because I go through stages where I do not really buy any new products and so I often run out of things to review. However, with that being said, I am going to try my best to be consistent and do my favourites every month without fail but do bear with me if I do skip a month. Now, let's get straight to my much loved products of November!

Dove Intensive Nourishment Hand Cream  - £3.49
Seeing as we are right in the midst of winter, the cold and bitter weather is upon us and as you all know, this can cause havoc with your skin making it much drier and troublesome. However, I think that many of us neglect our hands at this time of year. Recently, I have been using this hand cream from Dove that I got as part of a gift set a while back. As you can imagine, this product does exactly what it says on the tin (or tube, rather!) I tend to slather this cream on before I go to bed at night time and surprise, surprise; I wake up with nourished and soft hands. I really recommend this product as it is cheap, widely available in drugstores and most of all - it works!

Essie Luxe Effects Nail Polish in 'A Cut Above' - £7.99
Whilst I was in Boots with my Mum the other week, I was browsing down the make-up aisles when I came across this lovely nail varnish at the Essie stand. This polish is part of Essie's limited edition 'Luxe Effects' range which also features four other glittery top coats; 'As Gold As It Gets,' 'A Stroke Of Brilliance,' 'Pure Pearlfection' and 'Set In Stones.' I was drawn to this one in particular due to it's gorgeous pink/rose gold colouring. Although this product is advertised as a top coat, I built up a couple of coats of the polish on my nails to make them entirely sparkly and opaque. The end result is stunning and it lasted on my nails for over a week! The only problem I found was removing it; it took me about twenty minutes of vigorous scrubbing with pure acetone to get every scrap of it away but do not let that put you off, it's definitely worth it!

The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Body Butter - £13.00
Next up is the ever-so-popular body butter from The Body Shop, which I received as a gift from my friend Sydney. I own a couple of different body butters as I am a bit of a moisturiser hoarder. I never seem to finish one bottle or tub before I move on to the next one - I think I like to alternate between them depending on my mood or the time of year. The 'Vanilla Bliss' scent is a limited edition one for Christmas and I love it! It is so rich and moisturising which is perfect for when my skin is dry, which it tends to be in the current cold conditions here in the UK. With this being said, my favourite Body Shop body butter is actually the passion fruit one as I much prefer fruity scents in general. Most of the other moisturisers I own (Dove and Garnier) are around the £5 mark, so spending £13 on one is a little steep for me but as a gift, it was a lovely treat and the tub lasts for ages, so in the end it is a worthwhile purchase if you are thinking of buying one for yourself!

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Lip Crayon in 'The Redder The Better' - £5.99
As I have already written a seperate post on the Rimmel lip crayons here, I am not going to go too in detail about the product this time around. After loving the first shade I bought a few months ago called 'Rumour Has It,' I decided to go back and try another colour. 'The Redder The Better' is exactly as it seems; a really bright red colour that is really striking on the lips. As mentioned in my previous post, this crayon is really moisturising and glides on seamlessly. It also has a lovely vanilla/cocoa type scent to it which is a nice added touch. In addition, there is a lovely variation of colours to try and so there is something for everybody. I highly recommend this product!

The Body Shop White Musk Eau De Toilette (30ml) - £10.00
Last but not least is this lovely frangrance from The Body Shop. I love using this perfume on days when I'm not doing too much and do not want to reach for my more expensive perfumes. As you can probably guess from the title, this is a musky scent which has hints of flowers (lily, iris & rose) and vanilla running through it. I always get compliments when I wear this scent as it is quite strong at first but after a few hours, it wears off completely. So, although I love this eau de toilette, I would not recommend it if you need something a little more long-wearing.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading about my November favourites. I would love to know what your most-loved products have been this month, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment below :)