Christmas Haul (Part 1)

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a fab Christmas and New Year! I've been working non-stop so it was so nice to get home, even if it was only for two days. I missed my family and friends so much and it made my Christmas being able to spend it with most of them. I don't believe Christmas is about the presents (call me old fashioned) but I got well and truly spoiled rotten this year and I thought I'd share some of my pressies with you since last years Christmas haul was such a hit. I plan on doing it in two parts as no one really likes heavy reading ..

Alex and Ani Bracelets

I think Alex and Ani bracelets were a popular choice this year. Everyone seems to be sporting them. If you havent heard of them I recommend you take a look at the brand here. They're delicate little bangles with a coin shaped charm. Each charm has a meaning and I think they're just gorgeous. You can wear them alone or collect them and stack them up. I've had my eye on them for a while now and even threw a few hints to the boyfriend. Ahaha! There was a particular Swan charm that I fell in love with but unfortunately it was discontinued just before Christmas. Still I was lucky enough to get two this year; one from my parents and one from my boyfriend. They come in gold and silver. I was delighted I got one in each colour as you can see below. I even picked one up for my Mam. She loved it! The standard price is €30 but may vary.

EOS Lip Balms

My Nanny never fails to keep me stocked up on the latest trends. The EOS (Evolution of Smooth) lip blams have been proving popular in the last year and even celebrities have been spotted using them. They're paraben and petroleum free and contain natural and organic ingredients. I think they have become so popular due to their unique shape. They come in a sphere shape, not your typical pot of balm or push up tube. They also come in a variety of delicious flavours. I got one in Pomegranate Raspberry and Strawberry Sorbet. They smell quite sweet but it's nothing too overpowering. I love the packaging. They are so handy to throw in your handbag or pop in your pocket (they haven't left my side since the day I got them). They really do leave your lips feeling soft and smooth. They relieve that dry feeling without leaving a sticky or greasy coating. Definitely going to try some more flavours when these run out. My Nanny picked these up in Boston and I am yet to see them here in Ireland but watch this space !

'My Burberry' Perfume

Another pressie from my Nanny (she spoils us rotten). Hehe! She had seen my feauture on the Shemazing! website and had noticed that I mentioned one of my favourite scents, Burberry Baby. I use to rob it from my Mam. My Nanny looked everywhere for it but no where in Boston sold it so she picked me up an alternative. I was over the moon when I pulled this gorgeous 'My Burberry' gift set out of the bag. I love switching up my perfumes and I tend to do so every year. The gift set came with a 'My Burberry' Moisturising Body Mist and a big bottle of perfume. They both smell devine! The Body Mist has a light infusion of the perfume itself which has become one of my new favourites.They say perfumes smell different on everyone and to me this is a very classic scent. 'My Burberry' was inspired by 'the trench coat and its heritage of Britsh deisgn and craftsmanship' - Burberry. At €55 (30ml), €82 (50ml), €118 (90ml) and €2,600 (900ml, if you're drinking the stuff...), it ain't cheap but if you're like me and use perfume sparingly then you mightn't mind paying the money for quality and something that is going to last. I believe if you have a good perfume there should be no need to drench yourself in it. People should be able to smell it off you after a few spirts.

New Look Black High Waisted Skinny Jeans

Santy brought me some fab clothes this year but these are my new looove ! I may seem biased since I work in New Look but I can honestly say they're the best fitting jeans I own. River Island and Topshop are usually top of my list when going to buy jeans and trousers but I have been won over. I have such long legs that I struggle getting jeans that aren't half way up my leg. Not every shop does jeans in long length but fortunately for me Santa knew exactly what I needed when browsing on the New Look website. Hehe! I was in need of a pair of black skinny jeans and high waisted are my favourite. I find them so flattering on everyone, any shape or size. These in particular fit like a second skin. They're from the New Look Premium collection and are €44.99 which is a great price for a quality pair of jeans. Get yours here.

Penneys Silver Metallic Heels

Penneys have been stepping up their game recently, especially with their footwear. I spotted these a couple of weeks ago and my sister insisted she'd buy them as part of my Christmas present. They are so fab and surprisingly comfortable. They are very high but I ended up lasting the whole of Stephens night in them. Also the price is ridiculous! €18 is dirt cheap for a pair of heels. Grab them quick girls before they're gone.

Be back in the next couple of days with part 2 lovelies. Stay tuned! Mwah!

Holly X

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allthingshollyblog

Instagram: http://instagram.com/hollyfitzsimons

Twitter: https://twitter.com/allthingsholly_

Review: March's Powderpocket

If you haven't seen my review on last months Powederpocket or you want to find out more about the Powderpocket subscription service click here ! This months box had a great mix of beauty products for hair , skin and nails ! 

1. Herra Protect Hair Perfume

Herra Protect Hair Perfume is a finishing product for protecting and refreshing your hair ! This product is designed to protect hair against UV , pollution and air conditioning while locking in moisture while claiming not to leave the hair feeling weighed down ! It contains sunflower , olive and glycerin extract , this is also a hair perfume keeping your hair smelling delicious ! The fragrance was exclusively designed by Chanel's former house fragrance expert ! Herra is suitable for all lifestyles and all hair types ! Sounds impressive right ? The thing is I only got a very small sample of this product and by very small I mean the bare minimum ! I definitely wouldn't I got to test this product to its full potential but of what I had tried left my hair soft and smooth ! The smell was sweet and very pleasant ! I was quite disappointed with the sample size though as this product sounds quite impressive ! If you want to try it for yourself you will be able to purchase it exclusively at http://www.greatlengthsireland.com/ or at any Great Lengths Certified salon ( 136 nationwide ) for €29.50 !

2. Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Eye Mask

Shiseido's 15 minute express eye wrinkle mask claims to instantly reduces the appearance of visible lines and wrinkles around the eye and mouth area using Pure Retinol Micro-Infusion technology to treat skin quickly and deeply whilst smoothing away wrinkles and dryness ! The eye mask is also said to be highly moisturizing while making the skin look vibrant and youthful ! The eye masks contain Mukurossi Extract which switches off the wrinkle promoting enzymes that cause wrinkles to appear ! I received a pair of eye masks to sample ! I was so excited to try these as I have fine lines under my right eye from sun damage ! The masks are shaped perfectly to fit under the eye ! I applied these directly after cleansing my face ! Once I applied them I sat back and relaxed ! They felt so soothing that I didn't want to take them off but 15 minutes had passed and I had to remove them ! I straight away looked in the mirror to see if the appearance of my fine lines had changed and surprisingly enough they had ! The under eye area looked soft and smooth and dark circles had been reduced ! The lines also looked smoothened out ! It was as if they had instantly been puffed up ! I was very impressed with the results ! It is recommended to use twice a week for the best possible results but unfortunately I had only got the one packet ! I have no doubt that these would bring the promised results though because after one use I was quite pleased ! These are quite the investment at R.R.P. being €63 for a pack of 12 masks but if you are someone looking for a product to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lines then it is worth a try ! Available from Debenhams , Arnotts , Clerys , Shaws , Harvey Nichols , Brown Thomas and selected pharmacies nationwide ! Also visit http://home.shiseido.ie/ for more information !

3. Jessica Brilliance Top Coat

Jessica polishes are worn by all the Hollywood celebrities including Rihanna and Juilia Roberts with over 300 colours to choose from ! Brilliance is an advanced new formula that speed ups drying time and adds a high gloss finish to your polish ! After applying my coloured nail polish I applied a coat of Jessica Brilliance Top Coat ! Instantly it left a smooth , glossy finish which I felt really improved the look of my nail polish ! It also dried quite quick so I wasn't left with messy nails ! This is a simple yet effective product which I will continue to use ! Available from http://www.frenchbeautyroom.com/ and leading beauty salons and spas nationwide ( R.R.P. €13.95 ) !

4. The Body Shop Shea Shower Cream

Yeah it's a shower gel ? But what is different ? This comes from The Body Shop's shea range containing creamy shea butter , Ghana's beauty secret ! This claims to leave skin soft and moisturized while leaving a divine scent ! When using this in the shower I was surprised at how little it lathered ! I presume this may be due to its ingredients ! After using this my skin felt soft and moisturized unlike sometimes when I use other shower gels ! The smell is delicious somewhat creamy with a scent of shea butter ( smells similar to vanilla ) ! I have never experienced such nice results from a shower cream so was very pleased ! As a bonus , The Body Shop is associated with fair trade so buying products like this help areas where the ingredients are produced ! To find out more about the shea range drop into any of ' The Body Shop ' stores nationwide or online at http://www.thebodyshop.com/index.aspx ! The Body Shop Shea Shower Cream's R.R.P. is €8.95 for 250ml !

5. Manicare 4 Step File & Shine

This nail buffer claims to give an ultimate high gloss shine in just four steps ! Each panel is labelled with a number ( 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 ) directing you in which order to use it ! 1 is a medium grit nail file which is used to shape the nail ! 2 is a fine nail file which is for smoothing the nail ! 3 is used to remove ridges from the nail and 4 is a buffer to help you achieve a high shine in seconds ! I have to admit this did everything it claims to do ! My nails were left looking healthy , discolouration ( from tan ) had been removed and they had a glossy finish ! The shape of the file made it a lot easier to use ! The file is plastic yet sturdy and is the perfect size to pop into your handbag or make up bag ! For €2.50 ( R.R.P. ) you really can't go wrong as a nail file is always something you will use ! Available from pharmacies nationwide ! Check out Manicare's other beauty products at http://www.manicare.co.uk/4-step-file-and-shine/ !

I was very satisfied with last month's beauty products and I am currently trying and testing the products which I received in this month's Powderpocket !

Thanks for reading ! Hope you enjoyed ! Mwah !

Holly X

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/allthingshollyblog