What I Got For Christmas 2015

Hi :)

I hope you all had a really wonderful break and time spent with your families these holidays. I was very fortunate to be given some really great presents which I though I would share with you today!

Probably one of my favourite presents that I received was these gorgeous Victoria's Secret 'Body by Victoria Supersoft Short PJ Set' in Ruby Wine. These are so comfy and even though I'm fairly tall (5'10"/178cm) the shorts are short but still long enough to cover everywhere they're supposed to.

I was so happy when I opened this present it was a copy of Amy Winehouse's Frank on vinyl. If you know me you know that Amy is one of my all time favourite singers (RIP) and Frank was my favourite era of hers. This record has been on replay since I received it!

I was given this Zara perfume duo from my parents and the fragrances are really beautiful. One is 'oriental' and the other is 'floral'.

I received this Lush Christmas bath box from my aunt, uncle and cousins and it smells incredible. I love everything from Lush and I always feel so much better after having a Lush bath. I've already used the blue one which I believe is called Lord of Misrule, it turned my bath all kinds of pretty colours (blues, purples, pinks etc.) and smelt amazing.

I was given this reusable piping kit from my grandparents and I definitely wasn't expecting it however it was so sweet. I love baking and cooking and my grandma is definitely a big part of that as a lot of the recipes I grew up cooking were hers. I also had a major assignment this year which involved making my own cookbook my grandparents were really supportive of the whole thing and came to see my project when it was all done on the day. This present was really thoughtful and I will definitely be using this heaps (also it came in an adorable elephant box which isn't shown).

This beautiful little Christmas tealight holder was given to me from my little brother and it is from Dusk. I really loved this gift more for the meaning behind it, my brother is only 11 so the fact that he actually went out of his way to go and pick something out for me himself with his money that he spent meant a lot.

From my parents and grandparents I received $80 worth of Zara gift cards, I also got a $50 Westfield voucher from my aunt, uncle and cousins which means I get to go on a bit of a mini shopping spree soon :P

I was given some beautiful stationary from my great aunt and uncle and also from my aunt, uncle and cousins which will definitely come in handy as I'm the type of person who is always writing things down or making lists.

I was given this sweet little butterfly bracelet from Tuscany Silver from our friends in Norway, the chain itself is rosegold and the butterfly charm is studded with diamantes.

I was given these pyjamas as well from my aunt, uncle and cousins and our friends in England. The polka dot ones are from a brand called Love to Lounge and the pink and navy ones are from Primark.

I also received a few other bits and pieces which aren't pictured such as black Forever 21 skinny jeans for work, a grey knit, high necked top from Cotton on, a few books etc.

I'm so grateful to all of my amazing family and friends who gave me these beautiful gifts.

In case I don't post beforehand hope you all have a fantastic and safe ending to 2015 and a great start to 2016!

Thanks for reading xx

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Long Overdue European 'Face' Haul and Reviews

Hi :)

I'm sorry I haven't been posting recently, I can't really make excuses except for the fact that I've had school and tests. I'm going to try so hard for the rest of the year to get at least 2 posts up a month :/

Anyway, as many of you know in late June- early July I went with my family on a holiday to Europe (France, England, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland). While I was there I bought quite a few make-up/skincare items and I've been meaning to do a face haul post for a while now.

So here you go! My long overdue Europe 'face' haul with short reviews of each of the products.

Isadora 'Wake Up Make-up Foundation' 00 FAIR- $30+ AUD

This foundation is amazing, I bought it in Sweden. I have oily and acne prone skin and the foundation stayed put for most of the day, it is fairly matte but still has a dewy look.  It has an SPF level of 20 and a velvety smooth finish. I also have light skin and a lot of foundations are too dark for me, this foundation was pretty much a perfect match! It is medium to full coverage and blends really well.

However, this brand is not sold in Australia and getting it sent from friends in Norway would put this foundation to above $45 AUD a lot more than I would normally pay for a foundation. 

UPDATE- I have recently been using Covergirl's 'TRU Blend Foundation' L-1 IVORY- $20 AUD (Priceline) as I'm almost out the Isadora and they have a great variety of colours.

Soap and Glory 'The Fab Pore Purifying Mask and Peel'- Around $18.50 AUD

I've been using this mask once a week usually on a Friday night, the morning after you can definitely see results but it does leave my skin a bit oily which I guess is normal. I just use a make-up wipe and cleanser then a moisturiser and my skin is lovely and soft. The mask is lightly exfoliating but not a peel as it says on the box, I use warm water and a face towel to wipe off the mask by rubbing in small circles. I've seen some Soap and Glory products in Australia but they've always been really expensive, my next purchase from them will hopefully be Soap and Glory's 'Whipped Butter Cream' :)

Benefit 'the Pore-fessional Primer' - $50+ AUD

I had been wanting to try some Benefit products for AGES and was so excited when I arrived in London, Europe sell Benefit products a whole lot cheaper than they do in Australia. I'd heard so much about 'the Pore-fessional  primer' so before I decided to buy the whole tube I bought a Benefit sample pack from Boots to try it out. It was love at first try, it is so silky smooth and makes your skin feel kind of velvety (weird right!) but it does it's job! It makes your foundation stay on longer and creates a much smoother and even effect. As I don't want to waste any I usually only use this on special occasions (parties, concerts etc.) but I have to admit one of my biggest regrets of my trip was not picking up another bottle of this stuff!

Urban Decay 'Naked BASICS Eye-Shadow Palette' - $30+ AUD

I don't typically wear eye shadow so when I do I wear very natural colours, this palette is perfect for me. I was looking at the Naked 1,2 and 3 palettes but in the end this was the one with the colours I would wear most often. My favourite shades in the palette are 'Venus' which is a light, matte peach colour and 'Walk of Shame' which is similar to 'Venus' but with more browny/earthy undertones. All the colours in the palette are easy to build up or wear naturally by themselves and I'm really pleased I bought this palette!

Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed these reviews!

Morgan xx