Benefit Whole Lotta Lovin' Make-Up Kit

Every year make-up brands bring out amazing gift sets and each year I'm left disappointed that I never get given one. Over the past few years where I've became somewhat a make-up obsessive, these sort of gifts appeal to me so much more because I know I'll'll  get use out of them and it allows me to try products from brands before having to go out and commit to spending money on something I may not like.

My brother asked me what I wanted for Christmas a few weeks ago, and with a bigger budget than he's had in previous years. I thought this was a great opportunity to try one of my favourite brands gift sets, Benefit. Benefit bring out some really great little kits, especially at Christmas time. I love the majority of Benefits make-up selection but never have the funds to try new things out.

The kit I wanted was sold out so I went with the Whole Lotta Lovin' kit. What I liked about the kit is that it includes a variety of products from eyes to cheeks to face.

The Whole Lotta Lovin' kit includes:

They're Real Mascara 4g

Longwear Powder Shadow in Nude Swings, It's Complicated and Kiss Me, I'm Tipsy 3x 0.8g

Creaseless Cream Shadow in No Pressure 3.2g

Boi-ing in 02 1.2g

Hoola 2g

Talent Brush/Fruff Shadow Brush

Concealer Brush

I'm already a massive fan of Hoola bronzer and They're Real Mascara, both cult beauty products and massive favourites of mine, despite not being able to purchase them often because of their price tag. Some products really suprised me. I wasn't expecting much from the eye shadows and I've never used cream shadow before and saw them more as products they'd thrown in the use up the space. However, I really love all of them and found the colours were super complimentary to my dark eyes and paler skin tone. They were all stayed put on my lids and blended really well.

I've heard great stuff about Boi-ing before yet I've never tried it, which is strange considering I'm always on the look out for high coverage concealer. The only part of this set I was disappointed with was the brushes. I never expect much from brushes in these set as they are clearly cheaply made. It's hard to appreciate these kind of brushes when you're used to the delights of Real Techniques and MAC. However, if you don't own any brushes or don't spend much on these, they will certainly do the job for you and are a nice little addtion. I personally would of prefered another mini product instead as I will use my own brushes.

It also has a little guide in it which shows you how to create a look using everything in the palette, I had a little go on Christmas day with the eye make-up tutorial and really loved the look. It's definitely a bonus for people who may not be confident enough to just get stuck in.

Overall, this little kit is definitely good value for money retailing at £25. These sort of sets will be more frequent on my wishlist in future Christmases as I've loved being able to try new products without paying anything! They also make great presents, I picked up The Bronze of Champions as my Secret Santa for one of my flatmates and she loved it! Although some sets are limited edition to Christmas, Benefit have loads of regular kits all year round.

Have A Holly Jolly Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I feel like I don't need to justify this post much so I'll keep it short and sweet and I'm sure you're all in a rush today. As it's Christmas day I decided to surrender to the power of the Christmas jumper. I picked up this little beauty from ASOS a few days ago and luckily it came in time for today! I am actually in love with this jumper, it combines my loves for pugs and my favourite colour green! I haven't felt festive at all this year but gradually through the day I'm getting more into the Christmas spirit. It's a shame that Christmas doesn't feel the same when you're older, makes me excited to have a family of my own one day so I've got enthusiastic little people to make Christmas special again.

I hope you're all having an amazing Christmas and have gotten loads of lovely presents. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my day seeing family, eating a delicious roast dinner and visiting my boyfriend and his family.

My Christmas Wishlist

I really seem to love making these little lists don't I? For some reason it's nice to put together a collage of things you want and then try and justify why you really need them but probably don't, strangely satisfying. Anyway, with Christmas in 6 days I thought I'd share with you what I would like to see under the tree on Christmas day. We can all hope eh?

Marc by Marc Jacobs Amy Watch: I have been in love with this watch for weeks. With everyone on the Michael Kors hype I wanted something different but not different in the style. This Marc Jacobs offering is a real beaut, I wanted something silver but the silver option looked really plain so this hint of rose gold makes it a bit more special but not too over the top. It also helps it becoming a lot more versatile to wear with other jewellery with two different metals.

Benefit High Beam: Yes, I'm still needing (wanting) High Beam in my life. My make-up collection will not be completed until it hosts a highlighter but near the £20 mark, it isn't the kind of item I can afford without it being a necessity.

Urban Decay Naked 3: This is one I'm hoping will definitely be there Christmas day. After purchasing the Naked 2 last year and using it pretty much everyday since, this new rose gold take on the original needs to be in my life. Having previously not been an eye shadow wearer, the Naked palettes are absolutely perfect for everyday wear as well as creating dramatic evening looks.

GHD IV Mint Styler: I'm a massive fan of GHDs and I had my very first pair a whole 5 Christmases ago! They still work to this day and have been the best styling tool I have ever investing in, even if they are on the pricey side. These days they don't heat up quite as they used to and they're looking slightly shabby so it's time I invested in a new pair. I prefer limited editions to the regular plain ones so this glossy mint pair are right up my alley and with £10 at Very, I don't know how I can say no.

Viktor & Rolf Flowebomb EDT: This is one of those perfumes that you've always wanted but near the 3 digit mark for a 100ml bottle, it's always stayed a 'want'. Absolute gorgeous scent though and if you're looking to splash out on something a bit more fancy in the fragrance department, I'd definitely recommend this!

Clinque Great Skin Home and Away: I tried Clinque's Anti Blemish Solutions about 5 years ago and wasn't impressed, it was quite harsh on my sensitive skin. However, now my skin is a lot more calm on the acne front and I've been recommended the regular line which is more gentle. This kit contains all the 3 step system in both full size and travel size minis in a limited edition zipper bag. Absolute bargain if you're already a user of the products as you get them a lot cheaper than you would buying them separately!

Christmas Party Perfect with Miss Selfridge

If you're anything like me, you'll have left your Christmas party outfit until the last minute! Fear not, I have the perfect solutions for you at bargain prices! I had an email yesterday informing me that they have an exclusive event online - 36% off everything for 36 hours! If you need to sort out an outfit or just fancy stocking up for future events, I've put together 3 different outfits to suit most tastes. Or if something doesn't tickle your fancy, there's plenty of other awesome items over on the website for you to drool over!

Dress | Bag | Shoes - Miss Selfridge

The most expensive outfit of the 3 but just look at it! Being a petite girl myself I wanted to throw in a petite option. This is for the sassy, statement girl who isn't afraid of a sequin or two. The dress is stunning, nothing beats a sequin dress for the festive period. The shoes pair perfectly, still reflecting the theme of the dress but toning down everywhere else with a hint of gold to match the very simple clutch to finish it off. The great thing about this outfit is that it speaks for itself and therefore you don't need to add jewellery at all which will save you some money! I think this dress would look stunning with a messy up do and bold red lips with winged liner and false lashes.

Top | Shorts | Bag | Shoes - Miss Selfridge

This outfit is for the not so dressy girl. A dress and sequins isn't everyone's cup of tea but you can still look uber stylish and chic never the less. I've teamed this very simple but edgy cobalt blue tee with leather detail with this very on trend skort. Shorts are a great dressy alternative if you're not a dress or skirt kinda girl. I've gone for dressier accessories but still nothing super blingy. These shoes are the die for, I picked them up myself a couple of weeks ago and have not stopped wearing them, the heel detail is stunning. The bag is really simple but has elements of the rest of the outfit and brings it all together. Team with a super sleek ponytail, lots of blue eye liner and cobalt glitter polish.

Dress | Bag | Shoes - Miss Selfridge

Dare to wear white with this beautiful ensemble. This simple but stunning dress is not for the faint hearted as it's super fitted. A bodycon is a perfect dress for any Christmas occasion whether it's a meal or drinks or a whole night out. The clutch and shoes are absolutely beautiful and definitely make the outfit far more dressy, they can also be swapped to use with multiple other styles and colours of dresses. This outfit requires a killer tan, so if you're not blessed with naturally sun kissed skin, get your mitts on a good fake tan. Team with big glamorous curls and dramatic white and silver eye make-up, think lots of glitter! Keeping the lips nude and the nails white and glittery too!

Head over to the website before midnight and grab yourself a killer Christmas outfit or some last minute Christmas presents. You can't go wrong with 36% off everything!