DECK THE HAULS: Christmas Beauty Gifts

As the Christmas glow fades and everyone starts frantically trying to lose the cheese weight they put on over the holidays  - well, that might just be me – we can take solace in the time we’ve spent with our loved ones, and the spirit of the festive season that brings us all together.

And all the presents.

I was very, deliciously spoilt by my lovely family and friends, and because it’s not exactly a state secret that I’m kind of a fan of makeup (try not to faint with surprise), this took the form of lots of gorgeous beauty bits and bobs.

Urban Decay Vice3  

I’ve got a bit of a thing for Urban Decay (as you might be able to tell...), particularly their eye makeup, and it’s possible that I made a deeply unattractive noise when I received this palette – it’s got 20 beautiful, beautiful shades (my favourites are Lucky, a gorgeous deep gold, and Sonic, which is a warm russet-y sort of thing) and a lovely little brush and it comes in a cute little makeup bag. Sadly, it’s largely out of stock now, but keep an eye out on eBay if you’ve got your heart set.

Urban Decay Smoked

This is another UD offering that I’ve had my eye on for AGES, and it’s a little easier to get hold of  and a bit more budget-friendly than Vice3 if you’re after a bit of a January treat. Our friend Ellie has this and every time I saw it I was jealous of the lovely matte shades and the beautiful jewel colours – Loaded, the jade green, has had a lot of use recently.

Urban Decay Naked Illuminated

This highlighter is another product that I wanted because a friend had it (hi, Lindsay!) – it is possible that I have a bit of an envy problem. It’s a peach-toned highlighter that looks so, so beautiful on the skin and, although it’s packed with glitter, it goes on very subtly so you can use a teensy bit during the day and then build on it for evening.  

Urban Decay Naked On The Run

The obvious appeal of this palette is the practicality: it contains a mascara, an eyeliner, a lipgloss, six eyeshadows (one doubles as a highlighter), a blush and a bronzer. For me, though, it’s all about the COLOURS. All the shades featured in this palette are brand new and lovely, especially the blush, which is a warm light pink that will suit nearly all skin tones. I’ve heard some people say that the packaging is a bit bulky and heavy to use this for travel but while it could be more lightweight I don’t think it’s too bad. I’m going to keep this in my drawer at work so that I don’t have to carry a bunch of makeup with me if I’m going out afterwards.

Zoeva brushes

I probably overuse this word, but Zoeva are a bit of a cult brand when it comes to brushes, and these definitely live up to the hype. I was given the Classic Eye Set and also the Silk Finish Brush, which I’ve been using for foundation nearly every day and which feels like I’m putting makeup on with the soft soft tail of a very docile cat (I think - Izzy was not willing to cooperate to let me compare directly).

Models Own polishes in Disco Mix and Emerald City

Pops and I had our nails done at a blogging event a couple of months ago and absolutely fell in love with these colours (we didn’t mean to choose matching brands and glitter; we swear…). Emerald City was my NYE nail of choice, as seen on our Instagram, and it was still there when I went into work on January 2^nd. Everyone commented on how pretty it was, and also how super mature and professional it came across. You know, sort of.

OPI polish in Oy, Not Another Polish Joke

This was part of my Christmas present from my other half (Poppy) and it’s just beautiful – a really warm, radiant gold with a subtle glitter (but not so much that it’s a pain in the tits to remove). It’s quite sheer but it only takes a couple of coats to get a solid colour and I think it will also look gorgeous layered over a paler colour. I’ve had it on all week and I’m obsessed.  

Clarins Instant Light Concealer

Everyone and their mother is after this, right? It’s a liquid concealer in a squeezable tube (which I love – no more scrabbling around inside a bottle to get out the last bit of product – and it’s just a really nice product; really easy to dab on blemishes or bits of redness and blend quickly into the skin. I use my fingers as the consistency is really light, and it gives a great, natural finish and blends easily into the skin. I’m in love.

MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre

This little cream shadow, along with the Clarins concealer, appeared in my Christmas stocking (thank you, Santa!), and it’s gorgeous – a really pale, warm yellow that makes a great base for eyeshadows or a lovely, subtle colour on its own on days when I’m wearing less makeup. It even managed to make me look a couple more notches away from death on New Year’s Day, which is no mean feat. A little goes a long, long way and it’s got great staying power. There is a great range of shades, too, so I really recommend getting your hands on one.

I know, right? I told you I was lucky. Let me know what beauty bits you got for Christmas or what you’ve already got your eye on for next year! There’s no harm in starting early.

N x

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