The Christmas Jumper

Yes, I'm the kind of person that unashamedly dresses their dog in a reindeer Christmas jumper. 
And I'm not going to lie, I don't feel even the slightest bit guilty about it. 

Festive Candles From Bath & Body Works

I've been buying more candles guys!
I managed to resist the Bath & Body Works Christmas stock for a good couple of weeks but I finally caved when I saw that they had a, 'buy three, get three free' offer on. (I'm pretty sure there's always a promotion of some sort going on in Bath & Body Works and suckers like me are always falling for them!)
Anyhoo, since our Christmas tree is finally up and things are starting to get a whole load more festive around 'Excess Towers, I thought it only right that I go cray with the candles. 

Black Friday ASOS Haul

Guess whose Black Friday ASOS order finally arrived? 
It feels like ages since I got a delivery from ASOS so I thought it would be nice to share with you guys what I bought. I've been having a bit of a semi-mid life, wardrobe crisis recently whereby I try to put an outfit together, hate everything I own, crumple in a heap and vow that future me will try to shop more sensibly - I mean, why did I ever think I would need pink and purple, snakeskin print fitted trousers? 
#FML
Anyway, let's crack on shall we?

Dune Quilted Micro Pom Pom Bag in Blush 

The Pool Party

I know what you're thinking... 'Where the hell have you been?'
If truth be told, I've been in somewhat of a rut for the past couple of weeks - both in my personal life and with blogging. Inspiration has been about as forthcoming as a lottery win and, in all honesty, I've been enjoying spending quality time with my 'family' i.e. Scott, Daisy and the pigs, without worrying about my next post or if I've scheduled enough tweets for the week. It's been liberating.
So, in the spirit of 'family' time, Scott and I decided to take Daisy to a doggy pool party last weekend, which was pretty up there in the list of stupid things we'd decided to do in 2016. Imagine throwing a bag of shit into a fan... in a crowded room... when everyone's wearing white, and you're pretty much on the money.

Yes Way Frosé

Bonjour. J'ai le cerveau d'un sandwich au fromage. 
That right there is the product of my high school French lessons, and just about the only thing I remember from six years of study - and I'm not entirely sure I've remembered it correctly so it could mean absolute bollocks. Either way, none of this is in anyway relevant to today's blog post which is going to be waffly and contain an embarrassing incident. 
Buckle up folks.

The Body Shop Lightening Shade Adjusting Drops - Create Your Perfect Foundation Shade

I'm going to make a bold statement and say that this product is exceptional. 
I have some pretty dodgy foundation shades in my collection, yes MAC NW25, I'm looking at you, and whilst the products themselves are great, I just can't see myself being that... aherm... orange again any time soon. So when The Body Shop released their range of Shade Adjusting Drops to lighten or darken existing foundation shades, I knew I needed to try them out. 
I opted for the Lightening drops as I have several foundations that are currently too dark for my skin tone. 

Abu Dhabi Eats - Carluccio's Rise & Dine Weekend Brunch

If there's one thing you're spoilt for choice with in Abu Dhabi, it's 5 star brunches, so when I heard that Italian chain, Carluccio's were launching a laid back, grazing-style brunch at their Eastern Mangroves restaurant, I jumped at the chance to try it out. 

Snapshots From The UK

Autumn colours - Check! Dark and gloomy weather - Check! 
Okay, okay, I'm not giving the UK credit here because on our recent trip to the UK, we did amazingly well with the weather, which considering we spent half of our time in Scotland, is nothing short of a miracle. 
Anyhoo, we spent ten days travelling from my home town in Lancashire to where I spent my uni days in Ambleside, and then onwards to Edinburgh to visit Scott's family and attend a friend's wedding. It was jam-packed as always and we absolutely loved being able to catch up with everyone. 
Here's a few snapshots from our time at home. Enjoy. 

Wilson enjoying the fields.

Family Sunday roast at The Dog & Partridge in Chipping.

There's always time for shopping!

The famous Flat Three! My old university accommodation above the wine bar in Ambleside. My bedroom window was the very top right. 

Amazing dinner at the Castle Terrace restaurant in Edinburgh.

Wedding time!

Giveaway - 7th Heaven Face Masks

You may not be familiar with the brand 7th Heaven but I can bet you recognise the packaging of these face masks. Formerly Montagne Jeunesse, 7th Heaven have rebranded, got a fancy new name and have launched across the UAE. 

Yep, there's an extremely photogenic orange in my images.
7th Heaven's Peel-Off masks were some of the first I ever tried in my teen years. I recall running into town with my friends and spending my pocket money on Bourjois lipgloss and these face masks. Fast forward a *aherm* handful of years and they are now sold in over 83 countries, with one face mask sold every two seconds! 
That's pretty good going.
7th Heaven sell a range of masks to target different skin types and issues, from Aloe Vera Sheet Masks to soothe and cleanse, and Dead Sea Mud Packs to draw out impurities. They also offer Coconut Protein Hair and Root Masks to increase strength and volume as well as a spa range that consists of treatments for hands and feet. There's also a range for men too!
What's even better is the fact that the entire 7th Heaven range is completely cruelty free and veggie-friendly. 
UAE residents, you can get your hands on the new range of 7th Heaven treatment masks at Carrefour, Lulu, Spinneys, Geant, Waitrose and Boots. 
Okay, so who's ready for the giveaway details?
7th Heaven have very kindly offered to give away a goodie box of treatment masks to one of my lucky readers - that's you guys! The pack consists of 14 masks, suiting different skin types and treatments for you to enjoy. All you need to do is enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Ts & Cs:
- The competition is open to UAE residents only. You must be able to provide an address in the UAE for delivery.
- The closing date for entries is 15/11/2016. 
- There will be only one winner. I will contact the winner via email. If I do not receive a response after 3 days, a new winner will be picked. 
- You must complete the mandatory entry requirement to be in with a chance of winning. 
- If you are under 18 years of age, please seek permission from a parent of guardian before entering. 
Good Luck!  

What's In My Makeup Bag?

You might be wondering why there's no October Favourites post this month - if truth be told, there's been nothing that I've used consistently enough to call it a monthly favourite. With Scott and I traveling to the UK, things have been a little up in the air and I haven't had a great deal of time to try new things. Instead, I thought I would let you take a peek at the contents of my makeup bag - with some old favourites and new products that I grabbed whilst in the UK. 
Enjoy. 

NIOD Photography Fluid - It was Stacey from Expat Makeup Addict that told me I needed this primer, and after a few failed attempts at ordering it online, I manage to nab it in Duty Free on my flight home - and believe me when I say, this stuff is uhhmazing! If you suffer from dull skin or prefer your makeup to look glowy and fresh, then you need this in your life. It's specially designed to refract light and balance out skin tone, making you look fabulous in photographs. I'm not sure about the photograph part but it does make my complexion look blummin' flawless. Win. 
Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation Shade 010 - If you have normal to dry skin and like a lightweight, bare skin feeling foundation, do yourselves a favour and buy this immediately! I adore this foundation. It isn't too thin or watery and gives a nice, natural finish to the skin which makes it perfect for day to day wear. This is my second bottle and I have to say, it's right up there as one of my most favourite foundations of all time. 
L'Oreal Nude Magique CC Cream Anti-Redness - I snapped this up in Boots whilst I was home and initial thoughts are that it's a little too dark for my skin tone. The product applies green and blends out into a skin-toned 'foundation' which is designed to balance out redness in the skin and give a more even complexion. If you have a lot of redness that you wish to conceal, I don't think that this product alone would be enough but as someone who is prone to the occasional flush, it's okay. Nothing groundbreaking. I just wish they'd offer a variety of shades as I can see this being too orange for a lot of people. 
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara - This mascara is a makeup bag essential. If you have yet to try it, you can read my gushing, comparison review here. 
Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm in Pink - This is another new purchase and one, that in hindsight, I wish I'd stocked up on. I love these little tinted balms from Carmex. I bought the peach shade initially and then followed with the pink. They remind me ever so slightly of the Clarins Lip Perfector Balms, they're glossy, hydrating and impart a nice amount of colour. Pink is my fave but both are excellent for the price point. Totally recommend popping one of these in your bag if you like to keep moisturised during the cooler months but hate going nakey on your lips. 
Seventeen Instant Glow Gold Bronze Shimmer Brick - I'm not ready to give up on a heavily bronzed face just yet and I've rediscovered this little gem from Seventeen. This is pretty much all I've used in way of a bronzer since I've been back in the UK and I love it. It's easy to whack on and really adds warmth and luminosity to the skin. 
Finally, can we talk about this makeup bag for a second? 
I mean, it was made for me... obviously! 
The bag was designed by the lovely Jessica over at Squiffy Print. She's a UK-based, printing wizard that sells the most fabulous products from wash bags to slogan jumpers, tote bags to Bake Off style aprons! She very kindly gifted me this make up bag and I am head over heels. Not only does it look good, but it's blummin' enormous - meaning all that extra space for new makeup, right... right?!
Make sure you check out the Squiffy Print website and leave Jessica some love over on Instagram @squiffyprint 
Let me know what your makeup bag essentials are or if you've fallen in love with any new products recently. As always, I'm ripe for enabling. 

LUSH Haul - Halloween & Christmas 2016

Guess who's back.. back back  back again... 
Tis I, and I haven't returned empty handed. My travels to the UK consisted of a few things. Freezing my boobs off, food and numerous shopping trips - yay! I'd been really looking forward to stocking up on some seasonal LUSH goodies because;
A) I'm all about that glitter bath life and
B) The seasonal LUSH products are my absolute faves.
So, much consideration and a small fortune later, here's what I bought:

Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb - I see these peppery scented bath bombs floating around every year and yet I've NEVER tried one! *gasp* I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about the way these smell but I'm guessing they're much-loved for a reason. 
Pumpkin Bath Bomb - For a Halloween bath bomb... how could you not? The scent doesn't scream pumpkin to me and I definitely get more of a citrusy vibe but we shall see how this one fizzes. 
Candy Mountain Bubble Bar - This is an old favourite of mine. If the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar got tarted up for a Christmas party, it would be Candy Mountain. The scent is the same but there's the added extra of white swirls and sparkle. 

Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar - Glittery, pumpkin-shaped, smells like fruit salad sweets. What more could you want?
Mistletoe Bath Bomb - Looks pretty, has a slight, 'old lady perfume' scent. Again, we'll see how this one fizzes. 
Northern Lights Bath Bomb - I bought this bath bomb a few years ago and loved it. I'm glad they've changed the design as I know there were quite a lot of issues with them snapping and breaking. 
Magic Wand Reusable Bubble Bar - Smells like candy floss. Looks adorable. I think these would make lovely Christmas gifts. 
Snow Fairy Shower Gel - An absolute must at this time of year. I live, breathe, eat and sleep for this shower gel. Too much?
Snow Fairy Body Conditioner - Okay, this was right at the top of my LUSH wishlist. I adore the Ro's Argan Body Conditioner, so when I heard that a Snow Fairy version would be released this year, I knew I'd need it. It's pink, has a slight shimmer running through it and smells like a sugar lover's dream. Hurrah!
Have you tried any of this year's seasonal LUSH products or do you have your heart set on anything in particular? What are your thoughts on the products I've mentioned? Let me know what you think in the comment section below. 

My MAC Blusher Collection

There was once a time where I never used to bother with blusher. I didn't get it. Most of the time I was layering on the slap in an effort to cover up my skin's tendency to glow like a beacon the minute I stepped into a stuffy room, why would I want to throw an artificial flush into the mix?
I quickly discovered that not all blushes are made equal, and, hot pink, Aunt Sally blushes to one side, they can be really flattering, if you choose the correct shade. It was around the same time that the hoarding of peachy/pink blusher began.
Today, I thought I would give you a peek at my MAC blusher collection so far:

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks - Flirt & Medusa

I did it. I went and bought more of the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipsticks. Meet Flirt and Medusa...

The Allergic Reaction

There are two things a person should never have to do on a Sunday morning. The first being, having to wash makeup brushes, the second is having to apply E45 cream to your swollen, crusty eyelids.
Today I did both.
It was Scott's birthday on Friday and to celebrate, we brunched with a couple of our friends. Brunch turned into post-brunch cocktails, which turned into doing the Macarena, which ultimately turned into jugs of beers and eating a pretzel larger than my head at Oktoberfest. I mean, I've had worse Fridays...

Autumn Style - What I'm Packing For My Trip To The UK

This time next week, I'll be home in the UK and I have a mixed bag of feelings about it. More than anything, I'm absofricking out of my mind with excitement, not only to catch up with family and friends, but also for simple things like eating a pub lunch, hitting the high street and seeing CHRISTMAS springing up everywhere! - Too soon? 
What makes me nervous is the weather. We're spending five days in my home town near Manchester and then we're trekking up to chilly Scotland to spend the rest of our time in Edinburgh, where we'll see Scott's family and attend a friend's wedding. After having spent the majority of the last twelve months in perpetual sunshine and temperatures that never skim much below 20 degrees, it's fair to say that I'm on edge about it. 
I'm definitely going all out and packing with the expectation that it's going to be bloody freezing.

Beauty On Rotation

I'll hold my hands up. I have more makeup than I need. Of course I'm not going to confess that to my husband who, when I'm trying to explain why I need a new lipstick that is two shades darker than the one I bought the previous week, has in fact muttered the words, "I don't really understand why you need more than one lipstick anyway."
Yes, I was just as horrified as you are.
In a bid to use up some of the products that have sadly become neglected, I've decided to try and rotate my, 'easy to grab' make up - i.e. the bits that aren't stuffed at the back of my make up drawer. 
Here's what made the cut:

Bath & Body Works Autumn Candles

Guys, the obsession is real. 
There are three things I love about this time of year. Jumpers, Christmas and Bath & Body Works candles. 
Living in Abu Dhabi has many perks, one of which is that there are Bath & Body Works stores in practically every shopping mall - hooray! Being the eager beaver that I am, I made it my mission to call in on a weekly basis to check when their Autumn candle stock would be arriving - And it's finally here! 
Here's what I bought... initially. Yes, we'll get to that part further down. 

All You Need Is Love

Teddy must have done a bad thing or Daisy has had a rough couple of days because she's practically decapitated bae. 
Are we still using bae? 

A Gloss For Autumn?

I've never had a Pumpkin Spice Latte. There, I said it. 
I'm not really sure how I feel about pumpkins. I mean, I'm happy to carve one up and stick a candle in it but pumpkin 'foods' have never really done it for me. You know what I mean?
Anyway, this post is about lipgloss and has zero to do with pumpkins - except that it's berry-toned which is pretty synonymous with pumpkin season... or Autumn... or whatever.
Shall we crack on?
Feast your eyes on the Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in 176 Crushed Cherry. 

Makeup Geek Eye Shadow Quads - Warm Tones

About six months ago, I went through a pretty intense Makeup Geek phase. I may or may not have spent several hours scrolling through swatches on Pinterest and composing a, 'to buy' list on my phone. 
One thing I was conscious of was trying to buy shadows that would work well together and that I could use to create a complete eye look. I have quite a large collection of single eye shadows and I love the notion of creating my own, perfect palette - you can read all about my favourite custom eye shadow palette here. 
Anyhoo, for today's post I thought I would share with you some Makeup Geek quad ideas for those that may be considering dipping their toes in the Makeup Geek pond, or for those that just want some inspiration on shadows that pair well together. I chose to focus on warm tones because hello Autumn. 
Here goes...

Trying Kat Von D Beauty

Earlier this year, I leveled up on my Sephora card and as I result, I received a voucher to claim my free gift - which at the time was a choice between a Benefit mascara/primer set and a Sephora brow gel/nail polish/eye shadow set. 
So I did what any other self-respecting, beauty-lover would, and waited 'til something better came along...
And it did. As soon as I saw that the free gift had changed to a Kat Von D sample set, I rushed into Sephora and swiped one up. 

Abu Dhabi Eats - Teatro Restaurant

Last weekend, The Husband and I were invited to dine at Teatro Restaurant in Abu Dhabi's Park Rotana Hotel. Having never even heard of the venue, let alone sampled the food, it was fair to say that we were both intrigued. 

September Favourites

I put myself on a spending ban in September. Largely due to the fact that I really don't need anything at all and I'm shopping through sheer frivolity rather than necessity. As a result, the majority of my beauty favourites won't come as a surprise to you as they've mostly been featured throughout my latest posts. 
Here's what beauty and non beauty items I've been loving in September:

How I Grew My Pinterest Following

I'm not usually one for 'How-To' posts but recently I've had a lot of success with my Pinterest account and I feel like, for me, it's the platform that has been easiest to grow. I'm currently at around 19,000 followers, gaining around 3-4 thousand new followers a month, which I feel like is pretty good going. I'm also starting to notice a big increase in the amount of blog traffic I'm receiving from posts I've shared in my Pinterest boards. 
So how did I make it happen?