Inviting A Stranger Over For Christmas Dinner?

Some of you may be very confused and shocked by the title of this post, and if you'd have suggested this to me a couple of years ago I would have probably run away in terror (stranger danger). But last christmas my family and I invited a stranger into out home to share Christmas dinner - and it was quite honestly one of the best Christmases we have ever had. There were last arguments from my grandparents, we were forced to get dressed (and not stay in our pyjamas all day) and made much more effort to chat! 

There is a big emphasis on spending time with family over the festive period, but what does this mean for those who have no family? Well last year Bisto launched a campaign where you give up a spare chair for the elderly and share your Sunday lunch with someone who would otherwise be eating alone. Sunday dinner is the one meal we all look forward to, where we sit down with firiends and family for good food and conversation. Yet for 1 in 7 older people, it is one of the loneliest times of the week, with over one million elderly people going days without communicating with anyone. So you can imagine how loneliness is a massive problem, especially around the festive period. 

I live in the countryside, in a very small and rural village that is probably made up of around 180 people - 90% of which are elderly. We get on with pretty much everyone at our end of the village, but very rarely venture down where the majority of the older residents live. My grandma (who also lives in the village), likes to go to the local coffee morning and regularly chats to a lady who's husband had died several years ago. My grandma being my grandma, instantly invited here over for Christmas dinner as soon as she found out that she usually spends the day alone. She didn't stop to think about the logistics, or the fact that she wasn't even hosting the dinner (my mum always has everyone over to my house and we cook for everyone), she just invited her along!

At first we were all a bit skeptical, we hardly knew this woman, yet she was going to be sharing our special day with us. Eating our food and joining in with our little family traditions. I remember being terrified just before she arrived, I thought she might ruin the day. I thought everyone would feel too awkward to talk, and what if she didn't like the food! What would we do then? But as soon as she arrived the day just seemed to flow. We got her a drink, we gave her a present, we sat down for dinner. Conversation flowed and she loved the food - she even asked for a few of our recipes. She stayed, watched a film with us, we gave her a little doggy bag and she went home! We enjoyed having her over, and she enjoyed being with us! I'm pretty sure she's coming back again this year!

So all I'm saying, is just spare a thought for those who aren't as fortunate as you this Christmas. I'm not saying that you have to scour the streets looking for someone to have over for Christmas dinner, but if someone you know (or even someone you don't) happens to mention that they are spending the day alone, just consider sharing your day with them. 

Would you ever invite a stranger over for Christmas dinner?

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Treating Myself: More Charlotte Tilbury

It is no secret that I am a massive lover of Charlotte Tilbury products. Everything about her products just screams luxury. One particular evening in November, I was searching the internet for Christmas gift ideas for one or two friends and for some reason or another, I ended up on the Charlotte Tilbury website. I was eying various products up, popping them into my basket for future reference. Then whoops. I slipped and fell on my keyboard - resulting in this very expensive treat.  Now I'm all for treating myself (and you guys probably know it), but this was ridiculous even by my standards. I honestly spent about an hour hovering over the 'checkout' button, and I'm still asking myself why I did it. But nevertheless! It's done now, and I can't go back even if I wanted to (well I could have returned it but what's the fun in that?). When it arrived, I told myself I wasn't going to open it - and for once, I stuck to my guns! I wrapped it up all fancy and hid it on top of my wardrobe to be opened as a big little treat on Christmas Eve. Obviously, having ordered it over a month prior to opening it, I couldn't exactly remember what I'd ordered. So unwrapping it felt like such a treat (even if it was a slightly guilty one)! Plus I got to wear lots of sparkly new products on Christmas Day!

First up, I ordered the Matte Revolution Lipstick in 'Love Liberty' (£23). I have a fair few red lipsticks in my lipstick collection, but this is a little different from my usual go-to reds. I did write a post talking about the red lipsticks I might wear on Christmas day, but in the end I opted for this one as it looked so gorgeous! I love the formula of the Matte Revolution lipsticks as they have such incredible staying power and are perfect when you are going to be eating a meal. Keeping on with the lipstick train, I also ordered the K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in 'Bitch Perfect' (£23), after Rhianna (from Robowecop) wouldn't shut up about it on her social media. I've only tried this on a couple of times as of yet, but it is the perfect everyday pink-nude! I'd not tried any of the K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks before, but I knew that if it was anything like her other lipsticks I just knew I would love it!

I got the lipstick in a lip and cheek kit alongside the Chic to Chic Blush in 'Love Glow' (£30) which is a perfect berry-pink toned blush. The Chic to Chic blushes each have two different shades so you can 'swish and pop' as Charlotte calls it. You swirl your brush round the outside of the pan and blend it onto the apples of your cheeks, and then you finish off my dabbing your brush into the centre of the pan and dot the darker shade on the high points of your cheeks. Alongside the slightly shimmery formula, the two shades of blush give incredible depth to the face and make you look so much more awake! With my order I also got a free travel sized sample of the Wonderglow Primer  (Full size is £38.50), which goes perfectly with the blush! Charlotte Tilbury has suggested many ways to make use of this product, and my favourite is to use it on my cheekbones, browbone, and my cupid's bow as a highlighter. You can also use it under or mixed with your foundation to create gorgeous glowing skin!

Onto eyes, the main product I wanted to order was the Colour Coded Eyeshadow Palette in 'The Vintage Vamp' (£38). I have the Dolce Vita palette and loving wearing it on a regular basis, but I had been eying this one up to alternate with. The shadows are so rich and creamy, with intense pigments and blendability. I have been enjoying teaming it with the Full Fat Lashes 5 Star Mascara (£22) as the pair compliment each other perfectly. The mascara gives wonderful curl, volume and length to the lashes, and I have been wearing it every time I've left the house! On Christmas day, I wore them both with the Rock n Kohl eye pencil in 'Barbarella Brown', which was the perfect dream team! Continuing with eyes, another duo that made it into my shopping basket was the Nocturnal Cat Eyes To Hypnotise (£29) set featuring the Rock n Kohl eye pencil in 'Amber Moon' and the Nocturnal Cat Eyeshadow in 'The Huntress'. Both together look incredible and you can create a gorgeous smokey bronze cat-eye look.

Have you treated yourself to any new makeup recently?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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What I Got For Christmas 2015

I've toyed and toyed with the idea of writing this post. Questioning whether or not people would think I'm bragging. But you know what? I don't care. I'm writing it anyway! Every year I enjoy watching videos or reading about what people have been given on Christmas morning, so I'm going to write my own post this year! I meant to write on last year but failed to, and this year I've seen a few of the bloggers I follow write up something similar, and I have really enjoyed seeing what Santa brought them for Christmas. And I, as always, was very lucky to receive some truly gorgeous and thoughtful gifts for Christmas. After being thoroughly spoiled, and eating my entire weight in Ben and Jerry's/Vienetta/Cheesecake, I have pretty much been slumped on the sofa enjoying all my Christmas gifts. But I've mustered up the energy to sit down and write, even if I am accompanied by a berry daiquiri. Yum.

Beauty

Since I'm primarily a beauty blogger, I'll start off with the ton of makeup and skincare items I received from family and friends! My mum always likes to treat me and my two younger sisters equally at christmas, and when they were both receiving expensive gadgets, my mum decided to sneak into my bedroom and see what things I was running out of. She had a good rummage, and I could actually tell that someone had been through my makeup, skincare and perfume as everything was out of place. After rummaging through my perfume drawer, she noticed that I was running out of my Clinique Happy and my Prada Candy Eau Florale perfumes - so she repurchased the Clinique for me (the cutie), and accidently picked up the Prada Candy L'Eau perfume - although I actually really like it! It's very different from the Eau Florale, so I will still go ahead and repurchase that in the New Year - but I think the L'Eau is a lot more winter appropriate! 

My mum knows I have wanted to try the Urban Decay lipsticks after I told her at least once a day for about 3 months. Whilst rummaging through my muji drawers, she noticed that I am a fan of brown toned pinks, so she picked up the Sheer Revolution Lipstick in the shade Sheer Rapture. It is absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love with it immediately! I just know I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it - especially in the spring! It is the perfect shade for daytime wear and I bloomin love it!! My mum also remembered how I'd been eying up the Mac Paint Pots every time we've been into Leeds. I've never really jumped on the Mac bandwagon. I bought two lipsticks and then gravitated more towards brands like Charlotte Tilbury and Nars (I'm so high maintenance hahaha). But I've really been wanting some of the Paint Pots to use use a bases, and I have been eying up quite a few different shades. My mum bought me the shade 'Vintage Selection' which is absolutely beautiful. I'm yet to try it out as I've not really been anywhere to wear it since she gave me it. If applying either on the go, in my stocking I received a cute little compact mirror from Cath Kidston, which will come in handy as I've misplaced my other compact!

In terms of skincare, I'd asked Santa for the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate as it is such a cult products and I'm never one for buying myself expensive skincare. I actually knew that she got me this as she was having a bit of trouble checking out on the Debenhams website (she is useless with online shopping!) and ended up coming to me for help! I've used the Kiehl's oil for the past couple of evenings and I am in love! It leaves my skin looking hydrated and calm by morning, and it is a great accompaniment to a pamper evening! Speaking of pampering, I also got a lot of Lush for Christmas! My uncle got me a couple of loose bits, which somehow happened to be some of my favourite bits. I also received the Comfort and Joy gift set which has some of my all time favourite products in it! As the name would suggest it has a little bottle of the Comforter shower cream, alongside the Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, Reindeer Rock soap, and the Twilight shower gel.

Most of my real life/non-blogger friends know about my blog, and they bought me plenty of blog related things - including a few beauty bits! My friend Sarah bought me 'The Fashion Book' which is made up of an A-Z of icons, designers and all sorts! She also got me some of the Topshop beauty christmas baubles, and although the tree will be coming down soon, I have hung them on just for the time being. My friend Fern got me the Rimmel nail polish in the shade 'Chic in Chelsea' and the Soap and Glory Supercat eyeliner. I've actually wanted to try the Soap and Glory liner for some time, and I can't wait to try it out! 

Fashion

Who doesn't love a good pair of socks at Christmas! Last year my mum went a tad overboard on the socks and I think I received about 40 pairs - all of which were never seen again! Since the weather started to get chillier, I've kept complaining about how someone has stolen all my fluffy socks (*looks suspiciously at sisters*). I bought myself about 10 pairs from Primark last Christmas, wore them each once and then I've not seen them since! She picked out this gorgeous pair of chunky knit socks from Monki and they are so warm! I actually have them on now and my feet are so toastie! I also received some adorable Mr and Mrs Claus socks from ASOS which are so soft! Alongside the christmassy socks, I also got these christmassy pyjamas - which I will wear all year round! I am really fussy with pyjamas, and I prefer to have the ones that have a slim leg - so these ones fit the bill perfectly! Unfortunately both were in the wash when I was taking my post photos, so neither have made it into the post - but trust me they're cute!

Also from ASOS (my family love it just as much as me!) I got this lovely ring! I've only recently started to get into rings, and I absolutely love this one! I'd actually seen it online and liked it, but didn't realise it was so big until I opened up the little ASOS box. I absolutely love it and I wore it on Christmas day! I was also lucky to receive this gorgeous stacking rose gold ring from Pandora, which all my friends were admiring when we went out for our Christmas meetup on Sunday. I also wore a gorgeous chevron print scarf which I received from my sister, (also from ASOS) and I can't wait to go out and wear it again. I even wore it to the supermarket today! I love wearing scarves, and I have quite a collection but I've been on the hunt for some darker ones to wear with my grey coat. I usually wear a grey scarf, however it doesn't look at all right when I wear it with my coat as they are exactly the same shade of grey! This one will go perfectly with all my coats and it very oversized so I can still use it as a blanket in my lectures (even if my friends laugh at me)!

Lifestyle

My main present was so unexpected. I thought with expensive beauty products, I wouldn't receive anything else - but I nearly cried when I opened up a present containing the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90! I'd wanted an instant camera (and a Canon AE1, but I can still dream for one of those) years ago, but never received one - so when I opened this up I may have screamed a little bit! On Sunday I went out for an Italian with all my school friends as a little Christmas meetup before we all go back to university, and I took my new camera along. I had a photo with each of my friends (except one who wasn't able to make it!) and then we managed to get one all together. I also got a couple of packs of film and a camera bag alongside the camera, and I thought it was such a sweet gift! Plus the photos make for a good Instagram prop ;)

Another thing that makes for a good photo prop is a good book, and ever since the whole blogging community went mad for the book 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying' by Marie Kondo, I've wanted to read it. I'm not really one for being spotless as I'm usually too busy to put things away and then a mess builds up around me. But I honestly can't stand messy and unclean places. I've read the first chapter or so, and I really hope this book inspires me to make the time to tidy things away, and I can't wait to sit down with a nice cup of tea in my new Cath Kidston Mug and read the rest of it! And that's everything I received! Well... almost everything, there were a couple of gift received post photo taking, and a few other bits like chocolate, socks and money!

What did you get for Christmas?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hello everyone! Just an extremely short post for you today as I'm sure your busy wrapping last minute gifts and making sure everything is ready in time for christmas! I'd contemplated with the idea of giving up blogging over the christmas holidays, but obviously I realised I couldn't do that! I love it too much! Right now, I'm all wrapped up in blankets infront of an open fire - sipping on a delicious hot chocolate. I've finished university for the holidays and I'm ready to just chill out and enjoy a well deserved break. I was given so much work to do over the Christmas holidays and I have got nearly all of it done, but I'm saving the rest till the start of the new year. Thankfully this year I don't have January exams to stress out over and I can work through my to-do-list before I go back.

I've got all my presents wrapped and they are underneath the tree ready to be opened on Friday! I have done so much today and tomorrow I intend to fully relax. My family and I always go to the evening mass on christmas eve and we are planning to have a big chinese takeaway afterwards (mmmmm), but I'm most excited for christmas day! We always have my family over and have a massive feast! This year I'm in charge of making the yorkshire puddings for 7 people - the pressure is real haha! 

So I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you have a lovely day filled with as much festivity as possible! I'll be posting as usual on Sunday at 9am on the dot and I'll be sharing my musings and thoughts on 2015! 

What are you most excited for on Christmas day?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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Alternatives To A Festive Red Lip

Every year when Christmas rolls around, I whack out my MAC Ruby Woo lipstick, and pretty much adorn a red lip throughout the majority of December. But I know that there are others out there that either hate wearing red lipstick or a simply to scared to where anything that bold. So after sharing my favourite festive red lipsticks on Sunday, I thought it only fair to share some that were less bright and... festive. We all know how much of a lipstick hoarder I am, so you can imagine how hard it was for me to whittle it down to a select few. It was waaaay easier for my other post as they all had to be red which limited me slightly! I wanted to get it down to five so that there were five reds and five alternatives. But after a lot of thought I realised that there was no chance and eventually managed to select six. Instead of going for lots of bold lipsticks, I thrown in a couple on the more natural side and a sheer lipstick for those of you who don't feel comfortable with a bright lip. 

I'll start off with the brights. Not everyone wants to wear red lipstick, so the MAC (Satin? Amplified? God knows!) lipstick in 'Red Balloon' is a good option. Don't be fooled by the name, it isn't at all a shade of red - it's an absolutely gorgeous shade of fuschia pink, and I tend to wear it all year round. Often you can find that fuschia lipsticks fall on the cooler side, but this shade is quite a warm with red undertones. To say it isn't a matte lipstick it has incredible staying power. I've worn it before (without a lipliner) and it has lasted over 8 hours with minimal touch ups - so it's perfect to wear whilst eating your Christmas dinner! If MAC isn't really in your budget, I've found that Revlon's 'Fuchsia Shock' is a good dupe. 

Another similar sort of shade is the Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in 'Heartbreaker', but it seems to be getting harder and harder to find it anywhere! I managed to get one of my friends hooked on this shade and she wears it almost everyday and has used up multiple lipsticks! I'm still on my first lipstick as I wear it less often than she does, but it doesn't mean I don't love it any less! It is a gorgeous shade of pink, and is a perfect alternative to a festive red lip! 

If you're looking for a pink but aren't wanting anything too bright and you're wanting to treat yourself this Christmas, the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks just scream luxury. They do have more shades if this one isn't for you, including a few reds! I actually wore the shade Amazing Grace last christmas, and that is the shade I am sharing with you today. It a gorgeous brown toned pink as is one of my favourite neutrals in my collection at the moment. Because it's a matte lipstick, it is a great one to wear whilst eating or sipping drinks as it clings to your lips - not in a bad way, but it one that gives it incredible staying power! 

If you prefer to opt for a sheer lipstick, or are simply scared of bold lips, the Revlon lipbutters are incredible! I included the shade 'candy apple' in my red lips edit, and a few of you agreed with me in that the formulas are spot on! They are perfect for daytime wear, and even if you've already planned your makeup, I'd highly recommend adding some into your makeup collection!

Last but not least! I have the Nars Audacious Lipstick in Anna. It is a gorgeous cool toned pink and again is incredibly well lasting. I have mentioned these lipsticks tons of times already on my blog so I won't bang on about them too much. The formula is amazing and they come in sooooooo many different shades!

What makeup will you be wearing this Christmas?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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Festive Red Lipsticks

The festive season is finally upon us, and it brings with it a whole host of wonderful parties and celebrations. So this post is dedicated to those of you who are going out with family and friends, eating lots of delicious food and sipping lots a few cocktails, and simply just enjoying yourself! Like many makeup lovers, I love wearing a red lip in the run up to christmas. So I have finally decided to share my favourites so you are covered for the entire festive season! I wanted to share with you my top 5, but I just couldn't narrow it down! I managed to get it down to 6 lipsticks each with a variety of shades and finishes. For those of you just starting out in makeup or those that haven't yet ventured as far as a bold lip, I'd recommend the Revlon Colour Stay Lip Butter in 'Candy Apple'. It offers an easy to apply balm that adds just a touch of colour. It looks great with fresh, glory skin and simple eye makeup, and can be built up to a slightly bolder colour if desired. Also, as has a sheer finish you don't have to worry about it leaving a ring round your lips whilst eating - which is great if you're nibbling! 

If you're looking for something a little more opaque, yet still easy to apply throughout the festive season - then look no further than the NARS Satin Lip Pencils. Here I have the shade Mandore which is a gorgeous dark red. They are so creamy and there are tonnes of different shades to choose from, so if you aren't after a red you can have a look to see what else floats your boat! For something a little more long lasting, opt for a matte lipstick such as MAC's Retro Matte Lipstick in 'Ruby Woo'. It is quite a deep, sophisticated red that would go perfectly with almost any outfit. Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution in 'Red Carpet Red' would also be a good option, but I don't have that particular shade in my collection yet. Ruby Woo is a bit of cult classic, and one most people tend to try out when they are looking for a new red lippy. Ruby Woo has an extremely matte finish which, if you can handle it, can switch up your look in an instant. Some people say that this lipstick is slightly drying, but I disagree. Although in the winter months, you will want to make sure your lips are properly hydrated before application. So if it is one that you reaaaaally like the look of - you can do what I do and apply a touch of lip balm whilst prepping your skin.

For a touch of luxury at a slightly cheaper cost, why not take a look at the Daniel Sandler Lipsticks. They are on a similar price level as MAC, but my oh my are they more luxurious. Here I have the shade Casablanca which a beautiful deep red. I'm 90% sure that this is the lipstick that I plan to wear on Christmas day. But I'm torn between it and the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Love Liberty - a slightly more berry toned red. The Daniel Sandler lipsticks however, are extremely hydrating and have more of a satin type finish - not matte at all! The Body Shop's Colour Crush Lipstick in 'Enraptured Red' is the one you want if you love (and I mean love) a glossy finish. I'd say it was almost like a lipgloss but without the unpleasant stickiness. It is similar in colour to the Miss Sporty Lipstick, although costs slightly more. And finally, if you aren't feeling the traditional shades of red, why not opt for something more on the berry side. The Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in '107' is one I have often reached for in the festive season. It is very similar in formula to the Daniel Sandler lipsticks, but obviously being off the high street it is a lot more affordable. Although this particular shade is one of my all time favourites, there are a couple of different toned reds in the same collection which are also well worth checking out!

If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them - as you all know I'm a sucker for lipsticks!

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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