Sultry Scents for Valentine's Day

So you're getting ready to go on a date, and everything is fine apart from your scent. I have this issue every time I do something exciting, I have to find the right perfume to go with what I'm doing. My favourites are floral and sweet scents, but still elegant. The Fragrance Shop have released some new scents for spring which would double as lovely gifts for Valentine's Day for both men and women.*
Hugo Man This fragrance has scents of papaya flowers, water lillies and aquatic green apples, with core notes of peach nectarines, wild berries and musk. The base of this fragrance is of sandalwood and Baltic amber, giving it the 'manly' element to it. This is definitely an adult fragrance and is quite attractive (as are the Hugo Boss male models...). The style of the bottle is simple and to the point, with an interesting screw top, quite different to the female fragrances. For this 30ml bottle, it is £29.50.
Hugo Woman Hugo Boss Woman is all about a woman seizing life and embracing everything life has to offer. This is a fruity and floral with a boyish twist. The top notes are boysenberry, Italian mandarin and Himalayan red grass. The middle notes are Jasmine sambac and plush, black plum, iris and Indian black tea. Finally, the base notes are sandalwood, similar to Hugo Man, with cedar and amber. As I said, floral scents are my favourite, and this smells gorgeous once sprayed onto the skin. For 30ml this is £34.50.
007 for Women As you may know, 007 already have three male fragrances on offer, so 007 for Women is the female counterpart, inspired by the seductive women from the James Bond films. This is a feminine fragrance with a hint of mystery, just as you would expect. With an initial burst of spicy Black Pepper with Rose Milk it shows the danger reflected from the movies. Alongside this, it has blackberry and white floral jasmine, black vanilla, white musk and cedarwood. I love the packaging, the black glass to reflect the image of the films, with a tiny band of gold to highlight the luxury. For 30ml this is £24,50
I really love both the perfumes, they are right up my street. I can see myself wearing this a lot. Andy quite enjoys Hugo Man, and says it suits everyday wear but strong enough to wear for an evening occasion. All the fragrances are available from The Fragrance Shop.

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Rocker Femme Fantasy by Britney Spears

Since I was little I admired Britney Spears like no other. I had her albums on tape and CD and listened to them until I fell asleep. I was quite a girly girl and looked up to her as a role model ever since her first single. When her first fragrance came to the UK when I was about 12 I picked it up and loved it. Used every last drop and then fell out of love with perfumes and went onto body sprays (bad decision). Now Britney has released her latest fragrance in her collection, Rocker Femme Fantasy* which is sold by The Fragrance Shop.

I was intrigued to see whether the scent lived up to my expectations and potentially bring back a sense of nostalgia from 10 years ago. This is a limited edition fragrance and the packaging reminds me a little of Avril Lavigne, another fan of mine when I was a pre-teen (and forever since, kinda).

Packaging

The bottle is the same shape as a lot of the fragrances by Britney, with studs around the circular bottle, a chain-like top middle and a shiny top. I love the ombre effect too. It's simple, and the shape of the bottle will forever remind me that it is Britney's fragrance, clever marketing there! Pink and black together aren't the typical 'perfume' colours so I adore that this stands out from the crowd, envisaging the idea of having a more rock and roll personality.

Scent

There are notes of blackberry liqueur and coconut and you can tell instantly it was a lovely floral scent with a twist. I always head straight towards floral scented perfumes since I think they reflect both my personality and age. I'm young and looking for something fresh to make me smell lovely and last all day, and this delivers. It isn't as pungent as the "Fantasy" Eau De Parfum I had many years ago but nonetheless lasts all day. You can tell from spraying it that there is coconut involved and almost makes silky in a way. I would wear this for everyday use and sometimes in the evenings if I wanted to mix things up a little.

The Line

I'm not a stranger to celebrity fragrance and it certainly doesn't put me off purchasing another. As long as the scent is great and I enjoy it then that's all that matters. Rocker Femme Fantasy is a lovely perfume for summer and it will be coming with me to Spain when I go in August!

Rocker Femme Fantasy is currently on offer for £25 from £40 at the Fragrance Shop now.

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Debenhams Festive Christmas Hamper

Debenhams are feeling very festive this season and I'm so glad I can share the Christmas spirit with you this year. They're one of the department stores in the UK that have a big focus on Christmas, stocking plenty of brands and gifts to make sure present buying is a doddle so there is something for everyone. I'm going to be talking about a selection of products they stock on their website and in store that they chose specifically for me, to help you with your Christmas shopping this year.

Firstly let's talk about makeup. It's my first point of call and these were the presents that were wrapped up all lovely when I opened the hamper. Too Faced is a brand that I've only been trying out for the past year but they're one of my favourite beauty brands. Every year they bring out the most beautiful Christmas collection and this is the Merry Macaroons set (£28)* which features a romantic New York ice skating rink filled with the delicious vanilla scent of Merry Macaroons. Inside the box there is a mini Better Than Sex Mascara and a pop out palette which contains twelve vanilla scented eyeshadows. The box is presented with such care, and after Christmas if you don't have room for the box anymore, you can pop the eyeshadow palette and mascara out to put in your makeup storage.  

The second gift set is by Kat Von D which is another brand I've only recently fallen in love with. The London Calling limited edition makeup set (£19.50)* is filled with three of Kat's favourite products from her range so that you can create your own bold and beautiful look. It includes a mini Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita, mini Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Double Dare and a mini Tattoo Liner in Trooper. I've tried out all three of these products before, not in the same shades but they're honestly so good, which makes it perfect that Debenhams now stock Kat Von D. Having mini sized products also means they won't take up too much room in your bag too. The last makeup item was a pleasant surprise; the Mac Matte Lipstick in Kinda Sexy (£15.50)* which is a full sized lipstick. The shade is described as a pinky-peach with brown undertones and a semi-matte finish. It's a new favourite of mine and looks so lovely with my pale skin and blonde hair.

The second category I want to talk about is what I describe as home comforts. This starts with the Isotoner Ladies Novelty Penguin Original Slipper Socks (£6)* which are toastie socks with grips on the foot so that you can wear them instead of slippers. Aside from having the cutest design on them, they're so warm and comfortable to wear. I didn't even know Debenhams stocked slipper socks but I know what I'll be adding to my Christmas list this year now! The Yankee Candle Melt Cup in All is Bright (£5)* is a wax filled heat-resistant cup which can be used and reused for up to 24 hours of fragrance. The scent has top notes of grapefruit and orange, mid notes of redcurrant and the base note of sweet cup. I've never actually used a Melt Cup before but will be stocking up as I love Yankee Candle products, especially since they're actually cheaper from Debenhams than they are the Yankee Candle shop online. The last comforting product is the Lindt Advent Calendar which is 160g in weight and has 24 doors to open to count down towards Christmas. I've not bought myself a Lindt advent calendar since 2014 and was going to pop into the new Lindt store in Liverpool One but now I don't have to which saved me a trip!

The third section from the hamper was filled with Kitchen goods. My favourite item from this department is the Jamie Oliver Non-Stick Baking Sheet (£15)* because I absolutely love baking and I am a huge fan of Jamie's. I've been to his Italian restaurants more times than I can count and love watching him on TV. When this arrived I was so happy to finally have one of his products other than a recipe book. Each piece from his bakewear range has been smartly designed to turn out showstopper cakes and melt-in-the-mouth dishes time after time. After seeing the photo on the card around the sheet, I'm inspired to make scones for the first time and this is definitely the most heartfelt present in my eyes.

The other three products in this section are from the brand At Home with Ashley Thomas. There is the adorable Salt & Pepper Set which has two shakers in the shape of hearts with little red hearts dotted around them. They lean to the side and don't at all look like your traditional seasoning table item which mixes things up a bit. The set of three printed tea towels I couldn't find on the website for this specific set but they do have different designs on the site are £14* and made of super-soft cotton and scream Christmas to me. Although this year I'm still not into a new house, I'm going to put them away for the next place as they seem so lovely, I wouldn't want to mix them up with my cheap tea towels. Finally, the Jam-Packed With Love Storage Jar is so up my street and is a little jar with a floral print and an easy to close lock fastening to keep food items fresher for longer. I already have different sized lock jars similar to this from Ikea but they're plain and a little boring, so this one will be saved until I can fill it with something pretty, like party rings or a similar item.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Debenhams for making this Christmas special and make me feel like a kid opening all of Santa's presents. The hamper really cheered me up and has filled me with inspiration for presents to buy for my family and friends. If you want to check out their Christmas range, click here to find a gift for everyone you know.

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Best Black Friday UK Deals Of 2016

- List updated daily - 

Amazon: Deals throughout the week and the weekend, including electricals, fashion and more. Gaming, fitness products, skincare and grocery deals included.
Anastasia Beverly Hills: Up to 30% off makeup (use forwarding service to ship to UK).
Ann Summers: 20% off all lingerie.
Apple: Suspected one day deals.
Argos: Big savings off electricals, toys, fragrances and homeware.
Asos: Deals throughout the week with up to 70% off. 20% off everything with the code GOGOGO.
Beauty Bay: Confirmed deals but currently not announced.
Benefit Cosmetics: 20% off makeup items on their website with the code BLACK20 at checkout.
Birchbox: 30% off your first box with the code EARLYBIRD at checkout.
Boohoo: Black Friday clothing sale.
Boots: Up to 50% off hair electricals, makeup starter sets, makeup brushes and gel nail sets. Suspected deals on Soap & Glory products.
Carphone Warehouse: Phone contract deals with both Android and Apple phones.
Colourpop: 20% off liquid lipsticks and limited edition Ultra Matte Lip in Black.
Currys PC World: Online deals starting early on Friday 25th November.
Debenhams: Half price on a lot of items including furniture, clothing and toys. 10% off beauty.
Disney: Doing a Monday-Thursday set of deals with up to 20% off toys. Separate deals suspected on Friday.
Dorothy Perkins: Up to 50% off items all week including coats, dresses and shoes.
Elegant Steps: 20% off everything across their website.
F&F: Deals on clothing, home, gaming, toys, gift experiences and more.
Feel Unique: Daily deals on their website including makeup and haircare.
Game: Big deals expected with major savings on PS4 and Xbox One S both in store and online.
Halfords: Most deals announced on Friday but early bird deals on dash cams and sat navs.
Hotel Chocolat: 20% off Sleekster and H-Boxes with the code BF20 online.
Ice Lolly Holidays: Exclusive deals yet to be announced.
Jack Wills: Online and in store, up to 50% off selected lines.
Jewellery Box: 16.5% off everything.
Johnny Loves Rose: Confirmed there will be deals, not announced yet.
JD Sports: Deals on sportswear, fitness clothing, accessories, outdoor goods, trainers and hoodies.
Jessops: Plenty of deals online off tons of cameras.
John Lewis: Home appliance and technology offers online throughout the week.
Kat Von D: Mini gift set when you spend $100 (use GoSend etc to ship over to UK).
Kiehl's: 20% off everything when you buy 2 or more products (Friday 25th - Saturday 26th).
Little Mistress: 50% off everything with the code XMAS50.
Lola Rose: Up to 70% off jewellery online.
Look Fantastic: Definitely bringing some deals out, not announced yet.
Lord & Berry: Makeup deals yet to be revealed.
Makeup Geek: Confirmed both Black Friday deals and 12 Days of Christmas.
Maplin: Plenty of deals online including gaming, home electricals, gadgets and more.
Marks and Spencer: Up to 50% off home, clothing and beauty items including Champagne, Fitbits, and hair electricals.
Miss Selfridge: Online now, up to 50% off items this week.
Models Own: Up to 70% off in bottle shop stores and online.
Morrisons: 'Black Five Day's with a lot of deals on alcohol.
New Look: Up to half price off selected footwear, clothes and home.
Prezzybox: Online deals starting Wednesday 23rd November.
QVC: Deals online including savings off L'Occitane products.
River Island: Up to 50% off selected items and 20% off full priced items with the code BFRIDAY16 (online only).
Rush Hair & Beauty: £20 off GHDs online.
Schuh: Up to 40% off shoes online including Nike, Ugg, Converse, Dr Martens and Vans.
Selfridges: 20% off Christmas Shopping and 10% off beauty & fragrance 24th-27th November.
Sephora: Download the app to view exclusive deals.
Shoeaholics: 20% off everything online with the code 20BLACKAFF.
Skinnydip: Up to 80% off phone cases and other products online.
Sky TV: Free 43" Ultra HD TV on Box Sets deal. Free 32" TV or Lenovo laptop with Original Bundle deal.
Smyths Toy Store: Deals online and in store until Monday 28th November.
Snapfish: 70% off selected Slim Canvas products with the code SLIM1116 and up to 50% off everything else with the code BLACK116
Stila: Makeup deals yet to be announced.
Superdrug: Deals online including Christmas gifts, electricals, beauty and more.
TAM Beauty: Up to 80% off selected items online (mostly Makeup Revolution).
Tesco: Deals throughout the week online (11 days of deals). Tesco Extra stores opening at 5am on Friday 26th.
Topman: £15 off when you spend £75 online with the code INTUCYBER.
Topshop: Up to 50% off selected items online and in store - 24th-28th November.
Toys R Us: Up to half price on toys this week.
The Body Shop: Black Friday bundle worth £93.50 for £35.
Urban Decay: 20% off Perversion Mascara all Cyber weekend both online and at free standing boutiques.
Very: 20% off fragrance, jewellery and selected Phillips and Babyliss items.
Vodafone: Deals off phones and tablets.

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Beauty Lovers Gift Guide 2016

I love creating gift guides for Christmas and this year I'm doing it in a different way. Focusing solely on beauty, I've picked out some of my favourite items this year to recommend to any beauty junkie, or for someone stuck for a gift to give that needs a little help. I've chosen to include fragrances, palettes, beauty tools and makeup so there should be something for everyone here. I'll start off with two new releases from 2016; the Urban Decay Blackmail Vice Lipstick Palette* (£31.50) and the Too Faced 'The Chocolate Shop' (£45) or similarly, the Too Faced Merry Macaroons Set* (£28). The Urban Decay Blackmail Vice Lipstick Palette has twelve different lipstick shades inside so you can guarantee someone who likes makeup would be over the moon with this. It's a great travel palette as it comes with a mirror and brush too. The Too Faced Christmas sets come with mini items included and a ton of different eyeshadow shades, and once you remove the palette from the packaging it's so compact and thin that you could take it anywhere with you and is such good value for quality Too Faced shadows. 

For makeup tools and accessories, a well known applicator that is very well known is the Beauty Blender (£16). I picked one up when I went to Los Angeles and it was a total game changer when applying my foundation. You can pick different colours and sizes up in Boots and I'll definitely be picking up more of them. If you're more into brushes, Beaubelle have pretty rose gold brushes that are really lightweight and fluffy. I'm yet to post my full review but I would definitely recommend them so far! Finally, the Mac Brush Cleanser (£12) is the best product to thoroughly cleanse your brushes in my opinion. I've been using it for so long now I can't even remember when I first bought it, but it does the job, especially on stubborn makeup like foundation and concealer. I tend to receive one at Christmas every year as it tends to be an item I only remember to replace once I've ran out.

Lipsticks are a great stocking filler, so of course I'm going to recommend Mac lipsticks (£15.50) as they have a ton of different colours and finishes, with sleek packaging and limited editions to choose from if you're looking for something different. My newest shades are Kinda Sexy, Whirl and Velvet Teddy which I think would look amazing on everyone. For a touch more luxury, pick up a Tom Ford Lipstick (£39). My one is an Ultra Rich Lip Color in Les Mepris which is more of a spring/summer shade but there are plenty of shades available to pick up a colour to suit your recipient. If the person you're buying for is more into subtle lip products, try the Lancome Juicy Shakers* (£18) as they are basically lip oils with different shades and scents. They moisturise the lips and are incredibly natural looking, and even perfect for underneath lipstick.


A lot of people receive fragrances at Christmas time, as it's a product that not many people tend to pick up for themselves. Two favourites of mine this year have been the YSL Black Opium Eau de Parfums* (Ranging in price depending on the ml) as they're not sickly sweet but smell luxurious, with Black Opium Nuit Blanche being my current favourite. Another gift to buy is the Monsoon Rose Gold Fragrance Set* (£28.50) that comes with a large edition of the Rose Gold Perfume and 100ml of the corresponding Body Lotion and is packaged to match the products inside.  A final gift choice that I would encourage you to pick up is the GlamGlow Gift Sexy Treatment Set* (£39) that comes with four of their mud treatments to leave you with 'sexy Hollywood skin' and I've really enjoyed using them this month. It's getting colder and your skin reacts to the weather, so having mud masks to help nourish and exfoliate is a lovely gift. You can also buy this in Boots and I'm going to pick up the SuperMud treatment as I've nearly ran out already! It's amazing at eliminating spots and imperfections which is what I've needed for party-ready skin this festive season.

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