What I Got For Christmas || 2015

I wasn't sure whether to do this post or not because I know they're a bit of a love/hate thing but I personally love seeing what other people got for Christmas because I'm so nosey. Also my post I did last year on my Christmas gifts is actually my second most popular post, it really increased in views during December so I think a lot of people use it for gift giving ideas. I think this is a really good idea and more real than a 'gift ideas' post because it's a real representation of things a 21 year old has got for Christmas. So whether you're here because you're nosey like me or because you want to see what to buy for a girl my age then I hope you enjoy! P.S I'm sorry it's a little late!

I've also included a few bits that I bought in the sales and something that I bought before Christmas because they didn't warrant a post of their own but I still wanted to share them with you so I hope you don't mind! I won't be mentioning who got me what for the most part purely because this post is already gonna be a long one so I'm going to try and keep it as visual as possible. Obviously, I'm so grateful for everything that I got, I'm very lucky and of course have already thanked everyone!

The first thing I got a lot of was socks, I absolutely love socks but have a horrendous habit of ending up with one of each foot so I'll try not to do that with these ones. I have an over the knee grey pair, of course a frilly pair because people know me sooo well, a Jack Wills knee high pair and a little cute owl pair.

At Christmas, I always get a lot of underwear because good quality underwear is something you just tend not to really buy yourself. I know some people don't show it but I've said before we all have to wear it and it's nice to see pretty underwear so you know where you can pick up the good stuff for yourself! I have a gorgeous Christmas themed pair from Jack Wills with fawns on them (which I still will wear all year round....feel free to judge me), a gorgeous white lace pair from Jack Wills, two pretty lace New Look ones in grey and navy and also a neon Marks & Spencers underwear set. If you're looking for good bra's then check M&S out, they're on the pricy side for a bra but are really comfy and pretty.

I also got some clothes this year, two Hollister tops in the 'easy' material that I love. I got a plain grey one and a navy and white striped one and I also got quite possibly my favourite jumper ever, which is this black Topshop one. It is made from the softest, fuzziest, cosiest material and I literally put this on the second I get it out the wash, it feels like you're getting a cuddle when you wear it and it doesn't really have any seams so it's the perfect snuggle jumper.

I'm a massive stationary lover, pretty notebooks and pens are my thaaaang, so much so that I think I maybe could never buy a notebook again and still wouldn't manage to fill up all the pretty notebooks that I own, notebook rehab anyone?? I got two gorgeous gold leaf notebooks from Tkmaxx, one says 'Best Day Ever' and the other has a really nice Buddha quote on it. I got two colouring in books also which I can't wait to use and even more exciting - new colouring in pens. I asked for different colouring in pens for Christmas because I was getting bored of the usual colours so I now have some amazing pastel ones and some nice neon ones too. Every year my mum and dad always get me some nice post it notes because I need them for book marking books for uni so I was grateful to have more of those.

I have three books too, All The Light We Cannot See which I'm so super excited to read as I've heard it's similar to my favourite book, The Book Thief and A Monster Calls which I've already read and recommend! Finally The Hypnotists Love Story and as Lianne is one of my favourite authors, I'm sure I will love this!

No Christmas post of mine would be complete without a few Lush goodies, I actually really wanted to pick up some Lush stuff in the sale but by the time I went online to look at it, it had all sold out *cries*. However, I was gifted some lovely Lush goodies and I certainly will be needing them to de-stress from university this semester! The first is Intergalactic which I cannot wait to use cause I'm late to the party and still haven't tried it, I also have Candy Mountain which again I actually haven't tried before but it smells like Snow Fairy so I know it will be a favourite! I also have Yoga Bomb and Milky Bath which again I have not tried before but both smell incredible and I got two of the new bath oils from Lush to try in Razzle Dazzle and the 'Z' one which I'm not sure of the name. Of course, my friends and family know me so well so I got two bottles of Snow Fairy which as you can see I couldn't wait to start using!

You all know by now that I'm a bit of a candle lover and it turns out other people in my life know I am too. I got a large Yankee candle in Red Apple Wreath which is my favourite type of smell, warm, apple-y and slightly spicy, I also got a candle with an A on it which will be amazing for blog photo backgrounds. I got a little sampler of Fireside Treats because I've been going on about trying this for ages and I also got some Yankee candle wax melts and a burner to melt them on. I'm really excited to try these because I've always just stuck to traditional candles and all the individual wax melts smell incredible and are mostly scents I've not had before. Lastly I got a wick trimmer from Yankee, which I so desperately needed, if you like me regularly find yourself trying to cut candle wicks with scissors and getting your hand covered in soot... get yourself one of these, trust me you will not look back!!

Onto the beauty bits, which I'm sure most of you are here for! I got a Nars lipgloss in Como which reminds me exactly of Nars orgasm blush, I got a Nars eyeshadow primer which I desperately needed and I got a MAC lipstick in Diva which I am in love with!! I was also very excited to receive this benefit set which includes the They're Real push up liner!! and also the remover and the mascara as well. I got an Urban Decay Perversion mascara, a pretty pastel nail polish and also a This Works Dream Team set including the pillow spray and roller ball. The last beauty bits that I got were the SuperDry perfume in number 2, two of my favourite type of peel off face masks and also a tanning mitt for when I fake tan.

I also got a Jack Wills shopping bag which I so desperately needed because I'm terrified of damaging my handbag when I'm going to uni with carrying textbooks and my laptop in it etc. So I now have a pretty shopping bag to carry my text books to uni in. 

One thing I got a lot of for Christmas is chocolates, I wish I could show you but sadly I've eaten 99% of them, I got the usual chocolate oranges, celebrations, roses, chocolate pennies etc.

A few more beauty related things that I got was a Nails Inc set with some polishes, a corrector pen, a nail file, a cuticle oil and a bag and I also got a Mane n Tail hand and nail therapy cream, I am beyond excited to use both of these in combination because my nails are in such bad condition still from acrylics over TWO years ago (don't do it girls!!). I got a nail drying spray because I am so impatient and always smudge my nails from not sitting still long enough, a deodorant, nourishing nail remover pads and a makeup brush cleaner. I also got this gorgeous Jack Wills rose gold card holder which I definitely needed for coins and cards when I go on a night out and don't have room for my big purse.

I got some hair things too, a new hair oil, some dry shampoo and a giant Aussie shampoo and conditioner because I love Aussie products so much. I got some basics too like some more cotton pads, some makeup wipes, some eyelashes and some secret sole insoles to stop my feet hurting in heels which was so thoughtful because I was complaining about my new heels hurting.

I also got these gorgeous little fairy lights which I have already got wrapped round my bed in typical beauty blogger style. After Christmas I also got this gorgeous Chroma notebook in baby pink with my blog logo on it which I cannot wait to jot down all my post ideas in.

The last thing that I got is the Anna Saccone rose gold Virgo necklace. I got mine on the shortest chain available so it sits at what I'd say is normal length for a necklace. It's so pretty and I've worn it every single day since it arrived. I'm not massively into star signs but my star sign is pretty and this necklace just goes with absolutely everything. It looks so delicate with low cut things or pretty dresses but it also really stands out with high necked jumpers and tops so a massive favourite!

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got for Christmas and  a few bits that I picked up before and after in the sales! What did you get for Christmas last year?

Lots of Love,

A

♥

Cute, Inexpensive, Last Minute Valentines Day Gift Idea!

 

A lot of you seem to be enjoying my Valentines Day gift idea posts so I thought I would show you another cute, inexpensive, easy present that I've made for my boyfriend this Valentines. I'm pretty sure a lot of you will have seen this idea floating around the internet and I thought it would be a cute thing to try and share with you. All you need to do this, is a pack of cards, paper and the ribbon is optional but personally I think it's a nice touch!

 The concept of this is fairly simple, obviously you write 52 reasons down, one on each card of why you love this person. The best thing about this is it doesn't have to be a boyfriend/girlfriend. I think it's really nice to show people in your life that you appreciate them every now and again so why not do it for your mum or for your best friend. For mine I actually used sticky labels and put them through the printer, I'm not entirely sure how I did it...definitely with about 6 sheets of paper and a lot of frustration but I got there in the end. Basically the computer needs you to match the type of label with the printer and it's really confusing but I ended up just randomly picking one which probably isn't the best method since I probably wasted about 80 labels (sorry Dad) but it done the job..eventually! To save that hassle or if you have neat handwriting you could always use coloured paper and glue them down or even just plain white paper! I also cut all my labels to different sizes a) because I'm lazy and not very good at cutting b) because I think it looks nicer when it's not so 'uniformed'. This is really simple to do if you love the person then obviously thinking of 52 reasons why you love them isn't difficult but in case you need a few idea's or some inspiration I have taken a few pictures of the one's I made Gary. Lets hope he doesn't decide to read my blog before Valentines Day..!!

 You can also glue in pictures that you have of each other, polaroid pictures would be ideal here but if you only have bigger pictures then put them on the computer so you can make them smaller then just print them off! I have a few throughout and one on the back of the cover page which I think is a good place to add a picture or maybe a cute note.

 Really personal one's are always the best instead of the generic 'your eyes' etc so try picking out moments you've shared or personal things about that person because it makes it more personal and more thoughtful.

I think mentioning little things they do for you will show them how much you appreciate that when they probably think it's just a small thing that goes unnoticed.

 I've also added the date we started going out on both the front and the back and stuck a little 'I love you' sticker on it just because I thought it was cute. This is obviously up to your own personal interpretation when it comes to how you personalise it! I just think it's a super cute idea and if you're a last minute person panicking because you've just remembered V-Day is tomorrow and you've not got your other half something.. then hopefully this will come in handy!

I hope you have a fabby day whether you're going out with the girls, having a pamper night in or going out with your man! 

Previous Valentines Day Posts:-

http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/kinder-egg-valentines-day-surprise.html 

http://whatabbyloves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/valentines-gifts.html

Happy Valentines Day beautiful's!

Lots of Love,

A x x x