2014 Beauty Favourites

2014 was a big year for my blog, namely it basically began this year (bar, like, two days) and from then on my makeup collection only grew and grew. From a trip to America to some blogger-induced finds, it has been a good one. It was hard narrowing it down but I think I've done a pretty good job at summing everything up. 

First lets start with my top two bases of the year, the Boujois CC Cream and the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Nude Foundation. The Bourjois offering was a favourite in the first part of the year beacuse of it's lightweight texture and the ease of application. For the latter part of the year I mostly focused on the Rimmel foundation because of the fact that it is a good colour match and leaves my skin the perfect mix between matte and dewy. On top of that I often bronze using the Body Shop Honey Bronzer because it is a great colour on my and then top off the skin with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion, this one is just damn gorgeous. 

I have multiple favourite eye products. My L'Oreal Super Liner grew on me and has become my all time favourite liquid liner. If I wasn't in the mood to get fancy with my eyeshadow, I would simply use the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. When I did want to be fancy my go-to were the Urban Decay Naked Palettes (1,2 and 3) that I picked up at Sephora. If I HAD to pick one of them I would go with the original Naked Palette because the colours are the most neutral and my favourites of the bunch. Though, really, I'm happy to own them all. The love of my eyebrow's life is the Pixi Brow Duo and even when I branch out to try new things I think I will keep this in my drawer just in case. 

As far as lip products go I tend to mix it up all the time but I did manage to round it down to three for the sake of this post. I've been really into nude glosses, as I've made abundantly clear in many posts, and my favourite both in colour and formula is the Maybelline The Elixir in Petal Plush. On the other end of the colour spectrum is the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Olé Flamino, a long wearing matte colour. A bright pink/red shade that will really catch the eye. Just in the middle of the two is the Chanel Rouge Allure in Surprenante (I still have absolutely no idea how to say the name of that thing). I'm in love with the packaging every time I look at it and the shade is a really nice pink. 

On to skincare I am on my second bottle of the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil and use the Ren Clarifying Clay Cleanser every day. My scent of the year has definitely been the Gap Bright Perfume and I'm almost done with this bottle, which excites me greatly. 

Instead of linking where to buy the products I have linked any posts that featured them. I hope everyone had an awesome 2014 and is planning to have an even better 2015. I certainly am! I'll see you all next year. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

1 Year of Blogging - A Story of Success and Lack There Of

I can't believe it was one year ago today that I put up my first post on this blog. Entitled 'What's This All About?', it was a simple introduction that clearly showed I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Well, here I am a year later and only a fraction closer to having an idea of what I'm doing. This post, my 137th or so, is titled 'A Story of Success and Lack There Of' because that is really how I sum up my blogging experience this year. In some ways, I feel like this has been a successful venture and in other ways I feel as though I haven't gotten anywhere at all. Luckily the feeling of success outweighs the disappointment or this post would be kinda depressing. 

Firstly lets cover everything that made me feel super successful this year. The main exciting thing for me is that I actually stack with blogging this long. I don't think I've ever kept a hobby going for this long of a time! When I decided to play keyboard it lasted a school year, my musical theatre classes were the same. I decided to write a novel at the age of 9 and considered it done after wring 6 A5 pages in MASSIVE handwriting (I then moved onto the sequel which I didn't want to make quite as long as to not bore my readers). The point is, I don't have a great track record with these kinds of things. I also feel as though I have improved in my organisation, dedication, writing skills and photography throughout the year which is a massive thing for me. 

Now I want to briefly - or not so briefly, we all now I like to waffle on - touch on the lack of success I have had this year. I'm not going to lie, do get disappointed when I see bloggers who have been posting for less time than me and less often than me hitting 1,000 followers, being sent exciting new launches and attending awesome functions. Not that I wish these girls any less success or think that I am in any way better than them. It just makes me think for a moment that I must be doing something wrong, I must be so unappealing if I can only get 50 bloglovin' followers in 365 days. I didn't come into this with delusions of success and by no means expect it, I just get a bit disheartened sometimes. That being said, I will continue on with this blog no matter how many people read it because I consider it a reflection of myself and I don't want to be seen as giving up just because I'm not the most popular girl in school.  

So there it is, a post explaining everything I feel about blogging after sticking with it for a year. It felt good to get it all out and now I can move into next year with an open mind. Heres to another year of continuing to nurture my little place on the internet. 

As Always 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

December Favourites

I'm currently writing this post from my sick bed so excuse any gratuitous spelling mistakes or maybe, even worse, this whole thing making absolutely no sense. I've decided to power on because I have done such a good job with my posting schedule this month and I'm not going to let a stomach bug ruin that now! December was a slow month for favourites for me because it was all leading up to Christmas, where I've gotten some awesome favourites for January. That being said, the five favourites I do have are pretty gosh darn awesome.

Designer Brands Outrageous Volume Mascara
A surprising favourite for me that came from my Girlfriend: The Parcel subscription box (I did an unboxing post HERE), I actually assumed I wouldn't like this product. Surprisingly I really like this mascara for everyday wear as it adds volume while keeping the lashes separated.

Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Sparkling Dew Drops
I'm not going to go on about this gloss too much because I posted THIS review of it just yesterday. I will quickly say that this is my favourite shade of the two I have tried and the formula is just really great.

Body Shop Vanilla Brulee Lip Balm
The Vanilla Brulee scent from the Body Shop is my personal favourite they released this Christmas, it is scrumptious. I was trying to resist picking some of it up because I knew I would be getting something from the Body Shop for Christmas, I always do (this year was a Shea set from my Uncle). I got the shimmer lotion as a gift for one of my best friends and just had to pick up the lip balm for myself. It is so yummy I want to eat it and it moisturises the lips well. Not the best moisturisation I've ever experienced but the scent makes it well worth it.

George Ezra's Wanted On Voyage
I've had this album for a good few months now but my love for it has had a resurgence in December. I love George Ezra's voice and find it so funny that such a deep voice comes from such a scrawny young man, it's awesome. My favourite songs are Budapest, Leaving It Up To You and Drawing Board.

Youtube Channels About Movies - Screen Junkies/ Schmoes Know Podcast/ AMC Movie Talk
I would say that this has been my guilty pleasure this month but to be honest I'm not even guilty about it. I've been addicted to watching podcasts and videos about movies and people who are knowledgeable about them. My favourite that started it all was the Screen Junkies Movie Fights, then I moved onto watching the Schmoes Know Podcast and now I'm watching the AMC Movie Talk which is super cool because it's half an hour each day! I love the film industry and hearing about all of the going ons within it, it is especially good when the people telling me about it have fun personalities.

And that is the last favourites of the year! Oh my god that went by fast. On Wednesday I will be sharing my 2014 favourites and I haven't even begun to narrow the list down yet... eeep.

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Tanya Burr Lipgloss Review

The day Tanya Burr released her new lipgloss shades I finally bit the bullet and ordered two. I had been refraining since the whole line was first released but the new shade Sparkling Dew Drops looked so nice that I just had to. I also got the shade Chic from the original release because I had my eye on it for aaaages. Overall I'm super happy with these glosses, to the point that I keep thinking 'why did I wait so long?!' but then again I'm glad I got the newly released shade.

The packaging of these lipglosses is super nice because it is basic. A lot of drugstore brands tend to try and get fancy with their packaging but this is good quality plastic and a simple design. The only odd thing is that the packaging is ever so slightly different between the two, Sparkling Dew Drops is about 3mm shorter than Chic and the lid of Chic is about 1/2cm longer. They also dropped the 'Exclusive Collection by Eye Candy' on the packaging, so I don't know if the Tanya Burr Cosmetics has become a stand alone or they are just streamlining, I would be interested to know. They both smell very strongly of sweets which is pleasant and the smell doesn't linger around too long to be distracting. The formula is thick and not sticky, overall very comfortable on the lips. I have no complaints and it is equal to my favourite lipgloss formulas, Maybelline The Elixir and Nyx Butter Glosses.

Chic is an orange toned nude shade which is very pretty. I'm still not 100% sure that it goes with my skin tone but I will continue working on it. I think this is one of those shades that would look really great on people with blue eyes as it would enhance them slightly. Sparkling Dew Drops is a light pinky coral shade that looks quite subtle on the lips. Both shades are of medium opacity so they can totally be worn on their own or over a lipstick/lip pencil.

I really love these glosses and would love to hear your favourite shade if you have tried them!

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Day 12: The Christmas Table

I've decided to end 12 Days of Blogmas with some pictures of our Christmas table this year. I'm so happy with the way it turned out after I found a picture on Pinterest and set my family and friends on a mission to create something similar. I'm sorry this post is slightly late but these photos had to be taken once the table was set and you can't do that too far ahead. Plus I was spending time with my family, it's Christmas after all. 

The table is made up of a white table cloth and a hessian runner that we made by buying a piece of hessian fabric 1/2 a metre wide from the fabric store. On top of this is a variety of logs that were sourced from a fallen log in our friends back yard and cut into suitable pieces from that same friend, good person he is. He logs were dressed up with a variety of jars, pine cones we found and plastic greenery that I cut into pieces. In the jars are electric tea lights so that the smoke doesn't fog up the jars and we don't have to risk setting Christmas dinner on fire. That would be an interesting story to tell though. The actual place settings are just cutlery, a napkin and my homemade place card holders (see how to make them HERE). 

Obviously it is a bit late for this post to be anything but eye candy for you. Thats okay because you can just bookmark it for inspiration for next Christmas, nothing like being organised. Or you could just forget all about it, that's good too. 

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope your day is/was as happy and full of love as mine surely will be. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 11: Pre Christmas Pamper

After our story time from yesterday I thought I would bring it back to the beauty and give some suggestions for what to do to pamper yourself in the days leading up to Christmas. I've broken it up into categories to show that you don't need to do everything if you don't have time.

For the girl who is rocking a bold lip
There is two step you need to follow to ensure your lips are in tip top shape First, scrub them. I suggest the Lush Santa's Lip Scrub or a home made version (I wrote a recipe HERE). Then layer on the lip balm before bed to make sure you wake up with perfect kissers.

For the girl who is getting her legs out 
Here in Australia it is almost a certainty that girls will get their legs out on Christmas, since it's summer an all. Start off your preparations by exfoliating your legs, my favourite is the Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub. Then layer on the moisturiser to ensure your legs are perfectly smooth. An optional extra step is adding a bit of tan, either in the normal leave on form or in a spray on temporary form. I plan on trying out the Le Tan Wash Off Tan.

For the girl who wants perfect skin
Start off with your average face wash routine. Then use a pore clearing face mask like the Origins Clear Improvement Mask to make sure your skin is perfectly clear. Finish off by using plenty of luminous products to ensure glowing skin on the big day. This could be in the form of a serum, like the Skin Physics Luminosity Serum, moisturiser, primer or an addition to your foundation.

For the girl who is stressed out 
I get it, this time of year can be stressful for everyone. It's important to remember to take some time for yourself because the whole point of the season is to make everyone happy. Take a bath with a nice Bubble Bar from Lush, or whatever else you would like to use and give yourself a minute to chillax. Yes, I just used the word chillax. Put on some candles and some Christmas jams, close your eyes and totally stop thinking about your turkey or severe lack of purchased gifts.

For the girl who won't have time to do her makeup
For some of us out there, Christmas day is such a frenzy that you wont have time to dedicate to a brilliant makeup look. Whether it's exciteable little kids taking all of your attention or demanding family commitments, it happens. Instead of worrying about your makeup, just focus on something you can do a little further ahead. I'm talking about the hair. Wash it with your fanciest shampoo and conditioner and then go in with a hair masque to ensure maximum softness, I would recommend the Macadamia Deep Repair Hair Masque (which, for my Aussie girls, you can buy in Woolworths so you can pick it up whilst buying your Christmas food). Then go all out with a blow dry, before I did that I would go in with a really luxurious product like the Biosilk Silk Therapy. Straighten or curl however you choose and go to bed knowing that is one big step out of the way.

For the girl who wants to do it all
Then do it all! It's your time, make the most of it.

Enjoy preparing yourself for Christmas ladies and gents!

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 10: Shannons of Christmas Past

I've pretty much exhausted my ideas for makeup/pop culture posts this Blogmas so I decided that for this post we would just have a story time. This may not by everyone's cup of tea, it's basically just going to be me rambling, but I'm going to enjoy writing it so *in Miranda Sings voice* haters back off!

Nanna Fell Into A Bush
I'm going to start off these stories on Boxing Day because when I was a kid we would spend Christmas Day with one half of the family and then schlep up to the country and spend Boxing Day with the other half. We always used to play cricket in Nanna and Grandpa's street because there was never any cars and at this particular time it was Nanna's turn to bat. Now she's not a super young lady so the idea that she was batting was comedic as is but it got even funnier. My Dad bowled the ball and Nanna put so much force into hitting it that she span right around and fell into the bush behind her. After we all rushed in and helped her up, making sure she hadn't broken a hip in the process, it was the funniest thing ever. My Nanna's a tough cookie (she got run over by a car the other year and got out of it with a broken wrist) so she was able to laugh away with the rest of us.  

The Time I Fell Down A Drain
Let me take you back to Christmas 2007 (ish?). A 9 year old Shannon had received a Razor scooter that morning and insisted on taking it to her grandparents house for Christmas lunch - enough with the third person. I was riding my scooter around the street between lunch and dinner, usually nap time for the older family members and had built up quite a pace. My older brother Mitch and his girlfriend of the time were hanging out in the front yard watching me go. Then all of a sudden I ran off the foot path and into the grass. Before I knew I had come off the scooter and fallen through a concrete block into the drain below (the block was already cracked, I'm not just that heavy). Now that sounds very dramatic but I was really just about waist deep and wedged between two concrete blocks. Mitch rushed over and had to lift a crying me out of the hole. I was all banged up and rushed back inside to get a band aid and some lollies from my sympathetic Grandma.

The 'Worst' Present Ever
 We used to get so excited about Christmas that our parents would let us open one of our gifts on Christmas Eve. Yeah, we're one of those families. One year I had my eye on a very large gift with my name on it so of course I chose to open it early. My Mum kept telling me that I should open something else but I insisted. The tears began when I pulled back the wrapping paper and discovered that it was a badminton set complete with a net. I would like to point out that I am the least sporty person on the earth and so this present disappointed me greatly. It turns out that I was a massive brat! My Dad (who chose the present) must have spent a decent whack of money on it and we did actually end up using it. Turns out I quite enjoy badminton after being such a dick about it. 

These are some of my favourite Christmas memories and I would love to hear any of yours in the comments below. I really enjoyed doing this type of post because it felt like I was just chatting with friends, or writing a simple biography, your choice. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 9: My Actual Holiday Makeup

Though I did a festive makeup look at the start of this little venture, I thought I should also share the look I'm planning on actually wearing this Christmas. The other day I went out to buy a Christmas outfit with the intention of getting something super cute and floral, so instead I came home with something monochrome. A shock, I know. So instead I thought I would add a vibrant lip to inject some colour into the whole look.

I started with my Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Nude Foundation which I buffed in with my Zoeva Silk Finish Brush. Then I moved onto the eyebrows and filled them in with the Estée Lauder Automatic Pencil for Brows. On top of that I used the brow gel from the Pixi Brow Duo. I added the Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer. Then I began to tackle the shadows, beginning with the shade Sin from the Naked Palette all over the lid. I lightly ran the shade Naked through the crease and under the eye. I used the L'Oreal Super Liner on the outer half of my eyes so that it is not too noticeable but it makes my lashes look much thicker. I added my Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara to the top and bottom lashes and then piled on the Designer Brands Outrageous Volume Mascara on the top lashes. To complete the eyes I put a bit of the shade Virgin from the same Naked Palette on my brow bone and tear duct.

Going back to the face I plonked some Maybelline Fit Me Concealer all over the spots I have at the moment and then bronzed the skin up slightly with the Body Shop Honey Bronzer. Due to the fact that I have very intense lips and shimmery eyes, I decided to skip the blush. It is summer in Australia so it will be warm enough to give me a natural flush and glow on the day. I toped the whole look off with the piec de resistance, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Olé Flamingo.

This is exactly what I'm planning on wearing on the big day, though it is all subject to chance. Especially because I've got the Nars Digital World Coffret waiting for my under the tree so the Bourjois number may be subbed out at some point.

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 8: Top 5 Christmas Movies

With Christmas well and truly closing in on us, it is time to whip out a Christmas film and kick back before the crazyness begins. Lets face it, I enjoy most Christmas movies but I've made a list of my top 5 (well actually top 8 but let's let that go).

Elf
It seems as though this is everyone's favourite Christmas movie and it is totally warranted. Will Ferrel is so hilarious as Buddy the Elf and if you haven't seen it you will not be able to join in on all the quoting of this film that happens around the festive season.

White Christmas
A classic that my Mum and I used to always watch on the VCR when I was a kid, we've since moved up to the high tech DVD but the movie has not lost its magic. You must watch it if only to understand where the classic Christmas song (see my Festive Playlist post for more) came from, Bing Crosby is the star of the movie you know.

The Holiday
I love a good rom-com and this holiday themed one is one of my favourites. It is about women who seek a sea change for Christmas and swap houses, one going to England from LA and the other visa versa. Of course, they fall in love with Jack Black and Jude Law, making the whole thing very complicated. You could really watch this year round but it's especially good to put you in a romantic festive mood.

Christmas With The Kranks
Now onto the Tim Allen portion of today's post, we start with his less known Christmas movie. I just love this movie because it begins as a Scrouge/Grinch-esque story but then does a complete 180 and becomes about a community coming together. There's antics on the roof and an issue with a ham so of course hilarity ensues.

The Santa Clause 1, 2 and 3
These are three movies that grace my TV screen each Christmas season. I love the way the story progresses throughout the films and though the whole Santa clone from the third movie is kind of creepy, the story is overall very heartwarming.

What is your favourite Christmas film? I know everyone has very different taste when it comes to these things.

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Day 7: Homemade Place Card Holders

I saw a picture of these in a magazine and thought they looked just like something a crafty person would find in Pinterest, which is right up my alley. Our Christmas theme this year is 'rustic-chic' - I made that up myself so please don't comment on how douchey it sounds and these will make the perfect addition. If you want to see how to make them, read on! 

You will need: 
- Candy Canes (3x the amount of place cards you need)
- Hot Glue Gun, preferably with glue 
- A Ball of Twine 
- Scissors 
- Newspaper or something to cover your surface
- Paper and Pen to write actual place cards 

You will need to do: 
1. Collect all of the afore mentioned things you need. 

2. Unwrap candy canes while the hot glue gun is heating up. 

3. Hot glue two candy canes together in an X shape, as shown above in picture number 3. 

4. Hot glue another candy cane on the top, connecting it to the middle candy cane at the same point the first two intersected and then to the candy cane on the other side at the top. Make sure the two candy canes on either side are even at the bottom or it will be unable to stand up (learn from my mistakes). I hope that made sense and if it didn't I hope you can see from the pictures. 

5. Chop off the bit of the candy cane that is sticking through the middle so that it is flat, as shown in pictures 5 and 6. 

6. Hot glue one end of a 20cm(ish) piece of twine to the cut off end of the middle candy cane and wrap the twine around until the connection is covered. Glue the end of the twine into place once it's done. 

7. Write the names on the pieces of paper, using whatever method you prefer, and display on the table. 

It's a pretty simple DIY that will give a great effect on any Christmas table. I can't wait to see mine all laid out on Christmas morning. 

Lots of Love,

Shannon 

Day 6: "The Parcel Girlfriend' Unboxing (Christmas Gift Idea)

You can actually see the progression of the sun disappearing behind the clouds in these photos, lets say I was doing it artistically.

So you may be thinking I did one of these posts just last week and you're right. The Parcel has released two different boxes aimed at slightly different age brackets and I thought I would just have to try them both and see which is best. These subscription boxes are also a great idea for a Christmas present because if you buy someone a years subscription they will get six boxes full of beauty products, which is great value for money. It will literally be the gift that keeps on giving.

I'm going to give you my first impressions on each of the products below but I will tell you that this is an awesome box and the perfect box for any teenage girl in your life.

Nicole By OPI Nail Polish in Love My Pups
I love this brand of polish and am very happy to add another to the collection. Plus it is a worth almost the price of the entire box. My only issue is that it is practically the same colour as the Essie polish I got in the Marie Claire version of the box last week, which is not their fault just kind of annoying. 

BYS Sugar Baby False Eyelashes
They're really cute and wearable (for a night out of course) and it's very handy that they have included a glue in the packaging. 

Maybelline Colour Whisper Lipstick in Oh La Lilac
I've wanted to try these Colour Whispers for a while now as I've heard they're comparable to my favourite Revlon Lip Butters. This colour is pretty and unlike anything else I own. 

Designer Brands Outrageous Volume Mascara
I'm always a little bit apprehensive about mascara from cheaper brands, I don't know why but I'm worried I will have a reaction. I will certainly give this a go and I hope it's good. 
UPDATE: I'm wearing this as I type and it's super nice. Gives good volume, length and separation. I would totally recommend it. Though I was unable to find a link for it online unfortunately. 

Le Tan Wash Off Tan
This is a cool product but I'm fairly certain it will be way too dark for my snow white complexion. 

Australis Eye Crayon in Beating The Blues
I'm not particularly ecstatic that this came in a blue shade just because I don't ever wear blue on my eyes. That being said,  I love these types of products and if this one is a good formula I will be interested in picking up some more wearable shades. 

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash
This was a extra addition and it seems like the perfect thing to take while travelling. 

As you can see I had mixed feelings on some of the product shades but I'm still so happy with what I got. It is mostly full sized items, more so than the Marie Claire box, though this housed cheaper brands than the other. The best part about buying this subscription as a gift is that you can do it right now and not have to worry about going to the shops/waiting for it to arrive in the post! 

I've realised that I'm gushing about this idea so much it would seem that I have been paid to write this post. I swear I haven't (I will always put a * next to things I've been sent), I just really like these boxes. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 5: Christmas Lust List

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette
One of the most beautiful blush palettes on the market, this Hourglass number would please any makeup lover if it were waiting for them under the tree. It's got a great array of colours and if definitely high on my personal wish list. 

L'Oreal Colour Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick 
These lipsticks are packaged beautifully and come in a great array of colours. These two factors alone make them great stocking fillers at Christmas time. They're not too pricy but they give off a luxurious vibe.

Viktor and Rolf Bonbon Perfume
This is the best perfume I have ever smelt and if that's not a reason to include it I don't know what is. It's very pricy (sometimes it seems as though all things are) but if you're getting a gift for a special someone, this would be amazing. The bottle is beautiful so it can be proudly displayed on a dressing table. A beautiful look AND a beautiful smell!

Bobbi Brown Mini Eye Palette
Bobbi Brown has released a gorgeous holiday collection this year and any piece of that would make a great gift. My personal favourite is this dinky little eyeshadow palette that has a pull out second layer. There is a great mix of matte and shimmery shadows in very neutral colours, which means it is a good all ground palette. Perfect for travelling as well.

Nars Audacious Lipstick
This is one of the most hyped launches this year and from what I've seen they have a great formula, great packaging, great colour range and are just all round great. They would make the coolest stocking filler ever!  

Benefit Sweet Tintations Set
This is a cute set that any makeup newbie or veteran, but I think it would be good for someone who is just starting out and wants something subtle. Another thing you could do with this set is break it up into two smaller sets of the Benebalm and matching Benetint. 

Nars Vault Luxury Lip and Nail Set
The most luxurious (and expensive) beauty gift set I've ever seen, this collection of Nars Lipsticks and Nail Polishes is absolutely stunning. If you're looking for a major gift for a Nars lover, there is nothing better than this.

Real Techniques Nic's Picks Set 
If you know someone with an attachment to their core collection Real Techniques, this would be the perfect gift. I am one of those people with an attachment, so I totally understand how this theoretical person would feel. 

Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Set
This is probably my favourite thing on the list and the thing that I would love to receive. Too bad it is over $300. It contains a lot of Charlotte's most praised products including the Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk and the Dolce Vita Palette. So if someone is new to Charlotte Tilbury, this would be a great starting point.

Body Shop Schoolbook of Joy Set
My favourite Christmas scent at the Body Shop this year is the Vanilla one and a full set of those products would make my day on December 25th. 

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Midnight
I bought one of these eyeliners for my Mum for her birthday and she loved it. It's a simple stocking filler or a full gift for someone you're not looking to spend too much on. Stila is a well respected brand so people will understand that you didn't cheap out on it.

Twinkling Sweets Dancing Glass WoodWick Candle
Candles are one of my soft spots. Personally, I enjoy the richer sweet smells so this WoodWick candle is perfect. A candle is a great gift for someone especially if you know them well enough to pick a scent specialised for them.

These are all great gifts that I would enjoy receiving and may actually buy for myself one day. I would love to hear what you most want for Christmas this year?

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 4: DIY Rouldoph Biscuits

This cute as pie DIY Christmas gift is one that my Mum stumbled across in a magazine (thanks Mum, you're always giving me the best blog post ideas) and decided we would make this year. I thought I would share the idea with you because it's just so gosh darn adorable and yummy too! 

Ingredients:
- 1 Packet of Butternut Biscuits 
- 48 White Mini Marshmallows
- 12 Large White Marshmallows  
- 24 Jaffas (the orange chocolates) 
- A Small Packet of Pretzels 
- A Tube of Red or White Icing 
- A Tube of Black Icing
- 200g Milk Chocolate 
- 1/3 cup of Cream
- 75g of Butter

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and lay each biscuit over a space in a tartlet pan. Each biscuit should be suspended over the space so that once they have been put into the oven for three minutes, they can be quickly pressed into the mould to make a cup shape. Leave these biscuit cups to cool. 

2. Place the broken up chocolate, chopped up butter and cream in a pan over a low heat. Stir continuously until it is all melted together than leave to cool to room temperature. 

3. Once both the biscuits and chocolate mixture are room temperature, spoon around 1tbsp (or how much it will hold) of the chocolate mixture into each of the cups. Put them into the fridge for around half an hour to harden. 

4. While the cups are cooling, cut each of the large marshmallows in half. Do the same with the pretzels so that they slightly resemble antlers, this will probably lead to you breaking and then eating a lot of pretzels before you get enough good ones. 

5. When the biscuits are hardened, take them out of the fridge and get on with the fun bit. I think the pictures above show this better than I could explain in print so I'll just say that the red Jaffa nose was stuck on with the red icing and the pupils of the eyes were the black icing. 

Such a simple but fun Christmas treat! It would also be a really fun thing to make with kids if you have any of them running around. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 3: Festive Nails

If you're not up for getting a really glittery manicure this Christmas, maybe my more understated version would be more up your street. Adding an accent nail is the perfect way to say 'I'm sophisticated but still very fun, don't underestimate me'. For this look I used two coats of Essie Russian Roulette on all my nails bar the ring fingers. Then for the accent nail I used a metallic gold colour from Chi Chi that doesn't have a shade name and I can't find it on their website either, helpful I know. I didn't realise it was untraceable until after I'd used it on my nails unfortunately. That being said, any metallic gold shade will work just as well for this look. Silver would work too if that's what you prefer. I topped everything off with a coat of Essie Good To Go Top Coat to ensure it wouldn't chip within the first 20 minutes. 

This look is one that you can take inspiration from and interpret it with any colours you have lying around. A simple idea that's very versatile I say. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Day 2: Christmas Playlist

With Christmas just around the corner, it is probably time we all get the Christmas carols playing and our Christmas day playlists in order. Today I'm going to share my top 10 Christmas songs with you all to get everyone into the festive spirit! I guarantee that by the end of this post you will have a song stuck in your head. 

1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby 
I decided to bookend this list with really traditional songs because your home girl does not have the most traditional taste in Christmas carols. That being said, that film White Christmas is one of my all time favourites and this song is just beautiful. 

2. Last Christmas - Wham 
For some reason, this has always been my favourite Christmas song. Not the most traditional I know but I just love it.  

3. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey 
Another pop song, this one is just so much fun to sing along to. The version where Mariah sings it without anything to back her up and does an awful job is also very humorous, if you're looking for a laugh/cringe. The good version is probably best for Christmas day though. 

4. Baby It's Cold Outside - Darren Criss and Chris Colfer (Glee: The Christmas Album)
People rag on Glee all the time but some of the songs were damn good, okay!? Though the subject matter of this song is a little questionable. 

5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Michael Bublé 
It is not a good modern 'Best of Christmas Music' list unless it includes a little Bublé. Luckily, he does a very good rendition of one of my favourites for me to put in. 

6. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Human Nature 
Human Nature has one of the best Christmas albums on my iTunes and this is my favourite track off it. 

7. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin' Stevens 
I don't even think this one needs explanation. 

8. Winter Wonderland/ Don't Worry Be Happy - Pentatonix (feat. Tori Kelly) 
Pentatonix is just, like, really good. The acapella sound makes the R&B sound of this song sound more traditional, but still very modern. It's such an interesting combination and definitely worth listening to.  

9. This Christmas - CeeLo Green 
Chris Brown's version of this song is the one everyone talks about but personally I prefer CeeLo's rendition. This also has a R&B vibe about it, which is really fun to sing along to. 

10. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole 
I told you I bookended it with classics! This song is about as Christmassy as it gets, it's literally called The Christmas Song. 

As a bonus I also need to mention Do They Know It's Christmas? By Band Aid 30 because it's been one repeat for all of December so far. I love listening to the combination of voices from all of the different performers, plus buying it supports a good cause. 

I've included the Youtube link for each of the songs in the title, so that you can binge listen to them all. Sadly, Justin Bieber's 'Mistletoe' just missed the list. Maybe next year Justin! 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon  

Day 1: Festive Makeup Look

Welcome to Day 1 of my 12 Days of Blogmas! Today I'm going to share with you my personal take on the traditional festive makeup, is that okay? Good because it's happening. Red lips and a shimmery eye signifies Christmas to makeup lovers all over the world, though I'm sure this look would be just as nice at other times of the year.

First I started off with my Rimmel Lasting Finnish 25 Hour Nude Foundation and then I moved on to my eyebrows where I used the Estée Lauder Mechanical Eyebrow Pencil to fill them in lightly.  On my eyes I began with a mix of Foxy and Venus from the Naked Basics Palette as a base on the lid and then lightly buffed the shade Naked 2 into the crease. I followed that up by using the Browbone shade from Wet 'n' Wild's Walking On Eggshells Trio with a flat brush and pushing the colour all over the centre of my eyelid to add shimmer. Then I used the shade Faint (from the Naked Basics) on an eyeliner brush on the outer half of my top lash line and I ran the same colour underneath the eye. I topped off the eyes with lashings of the Benefit They're Real Mascara.

Then I went back to the face and touched everything up with my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, then powdered with Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, the usual really. I kept things super light on the cheeks but I did add a small dusting of Body Shop Honey Bronzer and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion just to bring some life into the skin. I followed the theme of shimmer down onto my cheeks with a subtle highlighter in the form of Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl. Finally I took my time and carefully (well in theory it's carefully, as you can see I did't do the best job) applied the L'Oreal Colour Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick in Flaming Kiss. 

This look would be great for a party or Christmas day, though it could totally be worn during the day too if you're feeling daring. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon