2013 You've Been Rather Lovely.

I know a lot of people say new years resolutions are a waste of time and you'll have broken them by the end of January blah blah blah ... personally I think the end of the year is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect. It's ever so easy to live day to day and wonder where the hell the year has gone so taking a moment to say well I did alright but I'd love to do this is never a bad thing.

2013 for me has actually been a pretty damn good year looking back - I've spent the year living with a boy and it's worked out rather well. I've loved playing house and even though we only rent it's been so fun making our little house our own. I also had my job made permanent which was a super brilliant moment - I have a job that getting out of bed for isn't a chore and I laugh every single day for which I'm super thankful. The Hannah Chamberlain Foundation reached it's one year milestone and amazingly through people's incredible generosity we have raised over £20,000 for young people fighting cancer - something I am in awe of and can't wait to try and match if not beat next year.

I want to achieve lots more in 2014 I turn 25 in the middle of the year and I really want to start saving towards all of the grown up things I want in life. I've also decided in the last month or so that I'm going to stop buying frivolous beauty bits. There are so many expensive products that I know will be amazing that I've lusted after for months and just not gotten around to buying. I'm not going to go crazy in Boots in 2014 on the stuff that I don't really need I'm going to make one treat purchase every month as I know it will feel a lot more special. Also looking in my make-up collection it's these little splurges like the Laura Mercier Foundation that have changed the way I do my make-up and have become HG. I'm also going to start using up the many products I have in my stash that are bursting out of the drawers - it will be year of the empties I'm sure of it!

In terms of Magpie Obsessions I've been a bad blogger this year and my frequency of posting has been really sporadic I've got lots of idea's for 2014 so I really want to stick to a little schedule and build it into my weekly routine. It's taken a back seat to everything else in life this year and it's bothered me that I haven't given it as much time as I would like so I'm really going to work that out next year and hopefully bring in lots more lifestyle posts to make it far more me.

On a lighter note I aim to drink more bubbles because I love them and life is way to short, I want to cook new things and steer away from the same old recipes, and I want to light more candles that smell divine.

I hope you all have the most amazing new year's ever whatever you are up too, and that you make 2014 give you everything you want from it right now. 

Tresemme Thermal Recovery Deep Treatment Masque

Tresemme Thermal Recovery Deep Treatment Masque - RRP £5.49 (Superdrug)

I've always had a love for Tresemme as the products they produce and I buy never seem to let me down. My hair is not loving the winter cold and is awfully in need of huge amounts of moisture so I picked this up due to its sheer size (500ml) knowing it would easily see my locks through the winter months. It says its for heat damaged hair but I find it's just perfect for dry hair that needs extra nourishment. I find Tresemme products scent hard to put my finger on the only way to describe it is that salon scent that all Tresemme products have and that I really love. This hair masque is nothing revolutionary but it really does do the job - I put it through mid length to the ends and leave it in over night for super nourishment. This hair mask is amazing value for money though a 500ml tub for just over a fiver and often on offer is brilliant! This tub will be on my dresser all winter long, I'll be extra generous with it to make sure my hair doesn't completely dry out before spring comes around.

Christmas Obsessions: Homemade Hessian Stockings

I've been so busy getting in the festive spirit that I've become an awful blogger but I'm back and determined to get all my little Christmassy posts up before the big day. As this is mine and my boyfriends first year in our own little home I wanted to set about making it very us and putting lots of personal twists in. I looked everywhere for the perfect stockings and couldn't find anything that matched my Christmassy theme well enough so decided to just make my own.

1 meter of Hessian/ Jute

Sew/ Iron On Lettering

Hessian Trim

Twine (pound store)

Plain cream cotton (for lining)

Decent pair of fabric scissors 

These were the easiest things to make I free hand drew one stocking cut out with the lining material and then repeated 4 in hessian and 4 in lining cotton. I sewed it all inside out then trimmed any excess so the inside was neater. I then turned out the right away and sewed on top trim and lettering. I finished it off with a little twine bow so they can be hung ready for Santa to fill them up. 

My meter of hessian was more than enough as I have lots left over. I think when I get time next year I'm going to make mini stockings or Santa sacks for the tree and fill them with little chocolates. I double stitched both stockings to make sure they hold all the presents well  - I also heavily sewed the twine on the corner so they hold together well. Hessian is a bit of a pain to work with as it frays so badly but a little perseverance and the added addition of the cotton lining meant that this didn't hinder my sewing too much. 

Winter Knit Obsessions

Pink Waffle Jumper - Miss Selfridge - £27
Brown Elbow Patch Oversized Jumper - River Island - £25
Stripe Cable Knit Jumper - River Island - £35
Knitted Angora Jumper - Topshop - £46
Knitted Cardigan - H&M - £29.99

Christmas Obsessions: Homemade Stationary

Ink Pad - Reindeer Stamp - Gift Tags - Card & Envelopes

Each year I like to make my own wrapping and stationary for Christmas. There's something super Christmassy about getting crafty and sending your loved ones homemade cards. I also adore brown kraft paper so always stock up on bundles of cards, rolls and envelopes to make birthday and Christmas cards throughout the year. This year I went for a reindeer/ stag stamp which I picked up on eBay for just a few pounds. A navy ink pad has allowed me adorn cards, gift tags and gift bags in the same simple design. This years Christmas decor is very simple and pretty earthy so I wanted a simple design on brown paper to coordinate with that. I really like the rustic look of the stamp and how it's not overly in your face Christmas and I think it's a lovely way to reflect our Christmas style when we send everyone we love a card this year. 

Christmas Obsessions: Elegant Touch Christmas Reindeer

 

 Elegant Touch Christmas Reindeer Nails - £7.10 Look Fantastic 

I'm more nail polish than fake nails but I do love the amazing designs that are coming out on stick on nails at the moment. I was doing an order for a friends birthday and couldn't avoid putting these in my basket for myself. I don't wear stick on nails often but when I do I tend to opt for the elegant touch brand in short. I can't stand the long fake nail look and feel - I just don't know how anyone gets anything done with them on. These are super short and are supplied with little sticky pads. I did give these ago when I got these but the nails just wouldn't stick and kept coming out when I touched pretty much anything. So I opted for a nail glue I had and they haven't budged since. I adore the pattern on these they are going to go so well with the many Christmas jumper days I have coming up at work. It's a lovely simple design that just screams Christmas. The pack includes 24 nails in 10 sizes and a little nail file. They are super shiny and I really can't stop looking at them so happy I included them in my basket they're so fun and Christmassy!

Christmas Obsessions: Nails

Glitter: Models Own Pink Fizz, Models Own Silver Fox, Deborah Lippman & Gold Glitter Nail Art Pen 

 

 Nude: Base Barry M Gelly in Lychee, Nails Ink Uptown Glamour, Models Own Champagne, Stripe and dots with bronze from nail art pen kit 

 

 Red: Base - Nails Inc Victoria & Albert, all designs done with nail art pens (eBay) 

 

White: Base George for Asda Manicure in Natural White all glitters mentioned above or from nail art pen kit

Painting my nails is one of my favorite things to do - painting them at Christmas time is even better. You can adorn your nails with copious amounts of glitter and it's completely acceptable even on the mot mundane of office days when  December always seems fun because your nails are covered in sparkles. I loved playing around with polishes for this Christmas nail wheel and I'm so happy that advent has started so bright red nails covered in glitter has become completely acceptable. If you've done any Christmas nail art posts please pop the link in my comments I'd love more inspiration :) 

Everyday MakeUp - December 2013

Base - L'Oreal CC Cream Anti Redness (Review)
Foundation - Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation (Review)
Concealer - Seventeen Phwoarr Paint (Review)
Brows - HD Brow Palette
Blusher - Vivo Baked Blush in Peaches & Cream (Review)
Mascara - Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp
Eyeshadow - Maybelline 24 hour tattoo On and On Bronze (Review)
Eyeliner - Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner in Dark Brown
Lipstick -  L'Oreal Privee Collection in Cheryl

Tresemme Silky Smooth Glossing Spray

Tresemme Glossing Spray £4.99 Boots

I keep trying to avoid going into town so I can attempt to save some money but I think it's just resulting in buying myself treats in supermarkets - mainly hair products. This week I picked up the tresemme glossing spray for a few reasons mainly because who doesn't want shiny locks like Kate Middleton, I do love Tresemme they never let me down, and it said argan oil on the bottle so I thought a little bit of nourishment wouldn't go a miss either. 

I've been using this for a few weeks now and I as I normally go for a matte textured (messy) hair look it's been quite nice spritzing this through the lengths of my hair to add a little shine. This spray is really light and once dry you can't feel it at all. It adds a really nice light gloss to the hair that looks really natural and healthy. I sometimes find glossing sprays a little greasy but this isn't at all. Overall I'tm really enjoying using it - it's adding nourishment and shine to my normally pretty limp and dry hair.

Christmas Obsessions: Festive Jumpers

Fairisle Stag Jumper - Asda £16
Retro Christmas Jumper - Truffle Shuffle £39.99
White Christmas Wrapper Jumper - New Look £19.99
Red Reindeer Jumper - New Look £25
Polar Bear Jumper - Asda £16
Sequin White Robin Jumper - New Look £25
Red Reindeer Jumper - BooHoo £15
Black Reindeer Pattern Jumper - BooHoo £20
Let it snow Jumper - £18 Tesco

There's nothing nicer than it being December so I can throw on my Christmas jumper without being judged. Overall I think Primark own this market but here are the ones I love from the rest of the internet. 

Maybelline Brow Drama in Medium Brown

Maybelline Brow Drama in Medium Brown £4.99 (Boots)

I've come a little ... okay a lot obsessed with brow products this year. I started 2013 with just one staple product and have some how ended the year with an entire compartment in my eye product drawer dedicated to my eyebrows. I picked up the Maybelline brow drama after reading a few reviews on it and then deciding I needed this release in my collection. I have a lot of powders designed to fill in the lashes and a few waxes to set them but no brow mascara's. 

The magic of this product is the want that little larger round ball on the end makes applying it so simply and it means you can fluff out the inner corners then sweep down the rest. It's not too pigmented so it's perfect to apply over brows that you've already filled in. It gives a little amount of colour that pulls together the eyebrow perfectly. It's also great for when you want a more natural look to hold your brows together and set them with a little added colour. 

 I've really enjoyed having this product and have used it everyday since I bought it. The wand makes it a dream to use and the finish on it doesn't leave with you with crusty brows just sleek and groomed. I like it so much it's been included in my current giveaway. You can enter by checking out the giveaway post here - alongside Brow Drama I'm also giving away two Maybelline color tattoo's, the VO5 dry texturising spray and the L'Oreal Micellar solution.

Rimmel Matte Finish Lipstick Shade 107 Wine

Rimmel Matte Finish Lipstick in 107 Wine - £5.49 (Superdrug) (FeelUnique)

I've used my Rimmel Matte lipstick in 110 a lot since purchasing and reviewing it back in February. It was quite a bold shade for the summer for me so when looking for a deeper red for the winter I thought it would be the perfect range to head back to. I really like the finish to this range - they are super pigmented and have a non-drying matte finish. I find them a little more satin than full on matte which I really like. Shade 110 is quite out there for me it's a deep red wine shade but it was just what I wanted for the winter and for Christmas parties. I wear a lot of black so I think this shade will offset it nicely. It's definitely not an everyday shade but I'm so glad I have something autumnal in my collection ready for parties!

Christmas Obsessions: Hair Care Gift Guide

Save
Palmers Coconut Oil Hair Mask - £3.09
Palmers Olive Oil Conditioning Spray - £4.49
John Frieda Full Repair Conditioner - £6
L'Oreal Intense Hair Mask - £6.99

Spend
Morroccan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner - £17 each
Tara Smith Feed the Root Kit - £12.50

Splurge
Bedhead Party Gift Set - £30
Morroccan Oil Styling Essentials Gift Set - £48

Christmas Obsessions: The Wreath

I couldn't find a wreath that I loved so decided to put together my own. My wreath sums up my Christmas theme really natural colors with a hints of red and the odd bit of gold. I made mine from a host of bits from hobby craft. The base was the 35cm tree wreath for £4 its a wire frame with fake tree spruces all over it. You can bend and move these as you like to cover or show off the other decorations you place around it. I then covered it in cinnamon sticks, berry clusters (small) & (large), mini pine cone clusters and bent them all round the wire frame. It took minutes to put together I found the key to it was using everything in multiples of an odd number and making is as unsymmetrical as you can so it has a lovely natural finish. I wreath made of natural bits would be much nicer but being as controlling as I am I wanted mine ready and I also like the idea of adding little bits to each year and keeping the same one. You can pick up the polystyrene wreath bases from Hobbycraft too where you can cover it in your tree off cuts. I picked up the gold wreath hanger from B&Q for just £3 just to finish it all off.

If you don't want to make your own I've picked out 5 of my favorite finished wreaths:

Cones and Berries Wreath - B&Q £18
Mini Red Berry Wreath - John Lewis £15
Heart Wreath - John Lewis £10
Pine Cone & Berry Wreath - Marks and Spencer £19.50
Luxury Pine Cone Wreath - Marks and Spencer £49.50

5 Favourites Giveaway

I've been meaning to do a giveaway for absolutely ages but couldn't really decide what I wanted to put in it. Now with the end of the year near I thought it would be fun to do a little pre-christmas giveaway featuring 5 of my favorite products right now and of 2013. It features the above 5 products which I will be giving away in one parcel. 

L'Oreal Micellar Solution - Review I had to include this product it's been my most repurchased and loved skin care product of the year by far. I had a little dalliance with Bioderma again a few weeks ago and it turns out my skin actually prefers this. 

VO5 Dry Texturising Spray - Review -  I raved about this just a week ago and it's been a hair staple since I first bought it so it definitely had to be my hair product in this bundle. 

Maybelline Color 24hr Tattoo's - Review - These have been my everyday eye product since they first launched and I can easily say I've used them every day I've worn make up this entire year. I have nearly all of the shades but I've included my 2 favourites in this giveaway. On and On bronze is my most reached for shade and is a gorgeous shimmery gold toned nude. Permanent Taupe is a matte shade that is the perfect base for so many eye looks. 

Maybelline Brow Drama in Medium Brown - I've only just bought this and I haven't even gotten around to writing up a full review on it yet but I've used it every single day since owning it and as it's a pretty new release I thought it would be a good 5th item for the giveaway. I've really been a little obsessed with brows this year too so couldn't really have a favourites giveaway without including a brow product.

The giveaway is open until the Saturday the 7th December in the hope that then the Royal Mail will come up trumps and I can get the parcel out before Christmas time. All entires can be made using the below Rafflecopter. 

Good luck :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

L'Oreal Collection Privee By Cheryl

 

 L'Oreal Collection Privee Lipsticks £8.19 Boots

The last thing I need in my collection is another nude lipstick but there I am surrounded by 3 for 2 signs in Boots swatching everything in site. The L'Oreal Collection Privee lipstick range is made up of 6 shades all chosen by the 6 L'Oreal spokeswomen the 6 shades are described as:

Doutzen Kroes: Barely Pink. A combination of freshness and femininity with a sprinkling of softness. The way this barely pink nuance melts into any type of complexion gives it indispensable elegance.

Julianne Moore: Barely Peach. Sensual and delicate to the extreme, enhances the radiance of pale complexions and endows them with elegance  and sophistication.

Eva Longoria: Barely Golden. With a hint of gold added, the best to capture the radiance of matte skin and sublimate the complexion, the sun‑kissed effect is worthy of the influential woman!

Freida Pinto: Barely Parma. Perfect for emphasizing the delicacy and elegance of the amber complexion. The ultimate in refinement, this shade evokes a freshness as well as sheer sophistication.

Cheryl: Barely Greige. Ultra-chic and rich in iridescence, barely greige offers a discreet contrast to the skin, thereby enhancing the natural beauty of the complexion.

Liya Kebede: Barely Moka. A barely brown nuance that adds a charming shade to the lips for a contrast to dark skin that comes up trumps.

I naturally picked up Cheryl's shade in barely greige. I really loved Julianne Moore's barely peach but I think I just love Cheryl a little more so that's why it ended up in my basket. I adore the packaging of this range it feels super luxe and the hint of gold against black makes it a gorgeous addition to my lipstick collection. The lipstick has a good pigmentation and a lovely creamy finish. I've been after a less pinky nude to my favourite MAC in hue so this fills that spot perfectly.