2011 in Picture

I like to do these posts to look back on and see how productive my year has been.
I've been reading quite a few of these blogs, and I thought I had quite an eventful year till I began reading others. I now feel like I lead a somewhat quiet life!

From top to bottom -
March - Although this picture doesn't give it away, I was at my brothers engagement party. A function room was hired, complete with a hog roast, magician and a few bands.
April - I was chief bridesmaid at one of my best friend's wedding.
May - My 26th birthday - sampling lunch for the very first time in TGI's
June - Seeing Take That in concert (yes, we really were that close!)

July - The biggest life change I've probably made so far - moving from my mums and getting a joint mortgage with my boyfriend. Above is just a little sample of the changes we have made in the house since we've been in. Nothing drastic, no structural change, just purely decor.

After July I couldn't really find any photo's that portrayed an event that deserved a mention. After the move things have been pretty quiet as we've been settling into owning our own home (and getting used to doing house chores).

I love having events planned, and 2012 is bringing a huge celebration that I'm v.excited about and that is my brother's wedding. Not only am I bridesmaid but it's also in Las Vegas. However unfortunately apart from this which isn't happening till September, I don't have anything lined up which sucks! Hopefully I can conjure something up in the meantime!

What have been your highlights of 2011? Do you have any grand 2012 plans?

Christmas Goodies

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! Although I didn't over-indulge on the alcohol, I definitely made up for it in the food department. Over indulging doesn't even cover it, and I'm definitely not getting on the scales till the new year now. I don't think I've had a proper meal since my Christmas dinner, that tells you how much snacking I've been doing *blushes*

I've been enjoying reading over what everyone has received for Christmas so much so that I decided to show what I got. The majority of what you see is from my boyfriend, who has spoilt me rotten as always.

Whats included:
Fluffy dressing gown
Gift Voucher for Boots
Dollars for Vegas
Fujifilm Finepix camera, camera case, mini tripod, memory card and screen protectors (phew!)
Nintendo Wii Mario Kart bundle (Yes, I know I'm about 5yrs late jumping on the band wagon!)
Just Dance 3, Rayman Raving Rabbits and Zumba Wii games
Vera Wang Princess gift set
Beyonce gift set
Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation
Take That Progress Tour Live on DVD (we went to the concert and they filmed on the night we were there so we're in the process of trying to spot ourselves at the front!)
'I Heart Vegas' book by Lindsey Kelk
A costume ring and hair slide
A mini eyeshadow palette
Nail file from Avon
Thorntons Chocs (the only ones I received this yr, thank god!)
A cute little vintage wooden drawer set that I could store jewellery in?
Items from the 'Country Range' collection from Avon - if you like the floral shabby chic design then this is for you.. it's like a spin off from Kath Kidston but cheaper, obviously! Most of the items aren't in the photo but I received a cute little pot with a padded lid, a floral hand towel and flannel (the towel is folded neatly on my dressing table to prevent any stainage to the white wood!). 3 cute padded hearts with scent inside them which I've hung around my make-up room. I also got a purse with a floral keyring.
Hanging from the camera is a long vintage style necklace, and to the right of them (although you can't see them) is a pair of cute pearl earrings with diamontes surrounding them.
I also got money and a onesie which isn't in this photo.

Overall I am extremely happy with my gifts. Some of them I asked for, some were surprises.
If you see anything you'd like me to review then feel free to ask.

Glossybox - Christmas Edition

I think everyone was excited to see what GB had in store for us for our Christmas box.
It arrived in a very festive red shiny box, complete with white shredding paper inside (as opposed to the usual black). The red & white together really did remind me of Father Christmas!

Inside the box were 6 products -

Contents:
Deborah Lippmann nail varnish in 'Razzle Dazzle' - Full size £16
Polish Remover Finger Mitt - £14 (pack of 6)
Rituals Foaming Shower Gel - £6.50
Bionova Eye Wrinkle Treatment - Full size - £43
Blink & Go Eyeshadow & Blush Palette - £14.95
Cargo Lip Gloss

The shower gel is full size and smells absolutely gorgeous. You need to be careful when squirting this.. I was trying to 'test' the smell in my living room, and it ended up shooting across the other side of the room, landing on my Christmas tree and making a nice line of shower gel across my carpet! haha. The same happened when I was in the shower, so be careful! The shower gel itself is the creamiest I've ever used, it's so luxurious. I'd love to repurchase this but at £6.50 a pop, I'm not sure if I can justify that amount on one shower product.

The nail varnish is so pretty and festive with the glitter. Its a gorgeous red-y pinky purple, if that colour even exists? The size is perfect too, being inbetween a mini and full size product. I'm a massive nail polish fan so I was delighted with this. I haven't tried it yet so can't comment on the lasting effect but if anyone is interested I could always give a review. It also came with a Deborah Lippmann nail varnish remover mitt. I've never tried one of these before so quite looking forward to seeing how it works!

Saving the best till last! This is what I was most pleased with. I've been gathering a few palettes together over the past few months that contain eyeshadows that would create both a smokey and a golden/brown eye, ready for my trip to Vegas. It isn't for another 9 months yet, but I'm slowly getting ideas together because I intend to do a lot of shopping, so I'm learning how to pack lightly (for a holiday that includes a wedding!). This little beauty is perfect because as well as the eyeshadows it also has 2 blushers which will help limit the amount of make-up that I take. They all are very pigmented and the compact also includes a mirror which will come in handy on the plane! I noticed some people received the mascara in replace of this, but I'm glad I got this.

The product I was a little envious with that a lot of people seemed to have received was the MeMeMe face base. I got the Bionova eye wrinkle cream instead, but I suppose we can't have it all! I received some Bionova face serum a few months back and it seems this stuff is highly liked. GB seem to have a habit of sending me ageing products. I'm 26, and although I'm 'getting on', I still don't feel old enough to begin using them. Although maybe the earlier you start, the better for your skin? Something I need to research I think before I decide to pass on yet another ageing product to my mum!

Last but not least is the lipgloss. It's a nice nude colour with pink undertones, and the perfect size for travelling. This product doesn't overly excite me, simply because I've got many lipglosses in all different shades and a lot of lipglosses are the same to me, despite their brand. In the last year I've become more of a lipstick/lip balm kinda girl (whether thats an age thing I don't know?) so I'm slowly starting to get rid of my glosses. Either way, its a nice little extra to keep in your handbag when you feel like you need that pop of colour on one of your duller days (or as I call them, ugly days!).

Definitely will get good use out of all (or most!) of these products (need to do my research first about the ageing products!)

Hope everyone was happy with what they received!

Weekend Roundup

This weekend has helped me feel a little more festive..
I began the weekend on Friday dinnertime, were I had a much needed afternoon off work, to get some valubale Christmas shopping done! We got the majority of presents within a whole afternoon, which I was pleased. Theres nothing worse than trapsing round the shops, people standing in the way and standing in mega long queues, weighed down by heavy bags getting all hot and flustered. Thankfully I only have my boyfriends to buy now, although he's probably the hardest to buy for.. I've been with him 4 years now so the presents are beginning to get a little repetitive.. how do you get round this problem?! Get a new boyfriend? I'm joking Mike, I'm joking!

Friday night I put our Christmas tree up. Its our first christmas together in our new home so it's all exciting! Unfortunately the tree can't hack a topper :-( we did have a nice glittery silver star but the top is just not wanting to stand upright!

Saturday night was my staff Xmas meal - We went for an Indian, not very christmasy but we've had bad experiences with food + venues the past couple of years so decided to stay safe! Went into a few pubs afterwards, although it was mega busy and stuffy.. I'm getting too old for that now!

We had a walk round our local garden centre today.. so many pretty decorations but not very pretty prices so close to christmas. We both agreed to get some decorations in the sale, ready for next year instead :-)

We finished the weekend with some present wrapping whilst listening to Christmas songs (its rare for my boyfriend to play them so was nice!).

I've also been drinking a lot more hot chocolate just recently, not good for the waistline, but so good for the tastebuds! I've been sampling a lot of different ones, they're all so yummy!

All in all, a very festive weekend.

2 weeks today! Is everyone ready?!

Christmas Sparkles - Pt 2 - Shiny Shoes!

This week is part 2 of my Christmas glitter series, and it's something that I believe should be second in line when buying an outfit... heels!

Any of these would be a perfect finish to a Christmas outfit. I love them all but I think my favourite has to be from Schuh. I love the multi-coloured glitter and the silver distinctive heel. The price is pretty friendly too.

I think the majority of work christmas parties will be happening either this weekend or next.. (mine's on Saturday), so if you do have one coming up, having a fab time, and remember, don't over-do the glitter! ;-)

Which are your fave?

Competition Winner!

Thank you to everyone that took the time to enter, tweet and create a blog about my competition. I'd love to give a little christmas gift to all of you but unfortunately, as always, there can only be 1 winner. I have however got another competition already lined up so keep your eyes peeled!

Without further ado, the winner of my A/W competiton is...

Lonneke

Congratulations! Please email me your name and address to beautyfromwithin@live.co.uk asap.

Thanks to everyone once again. I will be hosting regular competitions so keep them eyes peeled!

Hope everyone's having a fab weekend!

Christmas Wishlist!

Since moving into our own home, money has been a lot tighter which only means one thing; less treats for me. Therefore this christmas I've spent a little more time thinking over gifts that I need, rather than asking for things I would like (yes, there is a difference although sometimes it's hard to find!). I struggled with this list, and had to include a few luxury items that arguably I don't exactly need. Contradiction? Yep, I'm fully aware! Although 5 out of 8 essentials aren't bad, right?

1. Black Tux Superskinny Jeans - Dorothy Perkins. My jeans seem to be wearing very thin round the inner thigh area, and all pairs are on their last legs. Love the waistband on these jeans and the detailing down the side of the leg. NEED!
2. Dalmation Fluffy Robe - Topshop. I've been after a super fluffy dressing gown for a long time. All the ones I've had in the past I've wrecked with hair dye. I'm down to my last one that is mega short and is also covered in hair dye round the collar. Yuck. I don't care if it's not this exact robe, as long as its that extra fluffy material and a super cute design, I'm sold! NEED!
3. Jemma Kid Light As Air Foundation - Feelunique.com. I wear foundation on a daily basis. I've never indulged in a high end luxurious foundation, well ok, maybe twice. I've seen Tanya Burr and Fleur mention this over the months so if its good enough for them, its good enough for me! I'm 26 so I thought its about time to test the market a little more and see what I'm missing! NEED!
4. Beyonce - 'Heat' - Superdrug. I have 9 perfumes in my collection. Over half of them are 1/4 full so almost ready for the bin. My friend has been wearing a certain perfume to work for the past few weeks and I get a whiff every time I walk past. It fills the room and I love it! I'm always attracted to the celebrity perfumes and I don't know why! My purse surely isn't complaining though! This is a super fruity sweet fragrance that seems to have a fantastic staying power. WANT!  NEED!
5. Birdcage Table Lamp - Dunelm Mill. I've been spying on this for a few months now. It would go perfect in my little dressing/make up room with its shabby chic theme, instead of keep using the dingy light saving bulb lighting. Dont you just hate those? WANT!
6. Mischa Barton Handbag - John Lewis. My trusty Primark handbag is slowly coming apart. I noticed a rip in the material yesterday. Thats been a hardwearing solid bag for £9, and has lasted me over a year with massive usage! I need a classic handbag that I can use for work as well as the weekend, and this little beauty looks like it would do the perfect job! NEED!
7. Canon EOS 1100D - Argos. This is my most needed gift out the lot! There are several reasons why I need this. 1. My other camera's charging port is broke, and was rubbish at close up filming (and because of that I stopped filming for YT). 2. I want to take better pictures for my blog. I currently use my 5mp phone, which does a better job than my 12mp digicam.. makes sense! and 3. I'm going to Vegas next year to be a bridesmaid, so obviously want good quality photos for that. NEED!
8. Models Own BeatleJuice Collection - Boots. I've wanted this ever since they released it. I'm majorly addicted to nail polish at the moment, and it just NEEDS to be in my collection. WANT!

I could have added a lot more on here (eg. Ipad, numerous amounts of clothes and shoes, sewing machine, Cath Kidston galore, pretty little home accessories) but I know money doesn't grow on tree's....

I love looking at people's christmas wishlists for inspiration (as well as just to be pure nosey). Whats on your wishlist?

Christmas Sparkles Pt 1

Aaaaand the countdown begins...
In my latest NOTD, I mentioned a series that I was going to feature based on christmas parties. So here is part 1 of my 'Christmas Sparkles' series (I'm not very creative when it comes to titles so please don't shoot me!). Every week for the next 4 weeks I am going to pick out my favourite festive pieces that will eventually create an entire christmas party outfit. The theme being glitter! I'm not one for looking like a walking disco ball, however I think a few (note: few being the keyword) flecks of glitter in any outfit is a must for a christmas party. The idea is to pick only a few (I will drill it in!) items to create your final piece, we don't want glitter over-kill... that will just look as tacky as Pat Butchers earrings.

The first item I hunt for when looking for a whole outfit is a dress. I then base my accessories around my purchased item (I've never understood people who buy heels and handbags first, thats a bit too risky for me!). So it made sense to do Part 1 based on my favourite glitter dresses for christmas 2011, (I found this pretty hard because of the inspired theme!).

From top to bottom:

River Island - £80 - This is such a delicate looking dress. The material looks fantastic quality close up too. It reminds me of something you would wear for a wedding however I think this will look lovely with some gold accessories and maybe some glittered gold heels?

Topshop - £55 - This bodycon dress is for the brave who aren't too concerned about any lumps and bumps because this would certainly cling to them! However the studded detail will add the shine you need for that festive party. Team this up with a smokey shimmery eye and you'll be good to go!

Lipsy - £22 - I thought this was a really good deal, so if you like it, grab it while you can because I can't imagine this dress being in stock for much longer! I do like this dress but would have to lose a few lbs in order to feel confident in something like this! However it has that sparkle that we're looking for!

Dorothy Perkins - £35 - I have actually recently purchased this dress for my Christmas party! It looks fairly plain in the photo but it is lathered with tiny glitter flecks. The material is mega soft as well which I really like, and the neckline is really flattering. It has a V cut back with a big statement zip which I liked too. Its long sleeves is a bonus, covering up my hated upper arms and keeping me warm(er) at the same time! Only disappointment with this is it clings a lot more than I thought it would. I think I need to dig out my control knickers!

Miss Selfridge - £65 - This is the perfect style for my figure. A fitted top half and a flowy skirt. I find this style very feminine and elegant. I would normally associate the nude colour more with summer, but teamed with the gold bralet type top, it adds a festive sparkle to the dress. Teamed with maybe some gold glitter heels I think this would look perfect.

Have you got your Christmas Party dress sorted yet?