November Favourites

Butterkist Toffee Apple Popcorn | Good Things Miracle Matte Moisturiser | Superdrug Tea Tree Spot Stick | Bun Doughnut | Head Case Holly Retro Christmas Design iPhone Case | iPhone Black Glitter Case | Cuticura Passion Flower & Mango Anti Bacterial Hand Gel

This past month has been pretty full on so i haven't even had the chance to try many new products, or think about favourites for that matter - i almost missed them! But i've come up with a few products that helped me out in November.

I found the butterkist toffee apple popcorn on offer in my student shop at university, and it just sounded too good to pass up - let me just say it was love at first bite. It's so delicious! I love toffee apple, but not so much when you get down to apple, although i love the flavour of apple so this was just perfect for me. It's super sweet, but not too sickly. It has the perfect combination of flavours and i think that more people should have sold this!

This Good Things moisturiser is just brilliant, and i've been using it every day for over a year now, maybe even two. I've been having an issue with my skin lately, probably due to stress, and i've been breaking out here and there which can be a complete pain when it comes to applying make up thanks to all the products used to try and clear the breakouts. This stuff just totally smooths out the skin, creating a great base plus controls the oil. It's just brilliant and i thought it deserved another mention.

Only about the end of Summer did i realise just how sensitive my skin is. It really can't handle a lot of the drying spot treatments available, and they usually just make things worse. So i thought why not go back and try good old tea tree, and i'm so glad i did. Yes, it probably takes longer for the spots to heal and fade but they do in such a more soothing, clearer way and i'm not left with horrible marks. This stuff tingles with application, which i love because i know it's doing something, but it's also so soothing and not too harsh, and my skin loves it.

Now that it's nearly Christmas, i love getting in the spirit and honestly i love getting Christmassy in November too so i treated myself to some new phone cases. The holly one was such a find, and it is so, so cute! I love the retro design and the holly is super festive. The case is great, i just wish the finish was more glossy but i can deal with that thanks to the cute print. As for the glitter, i've had these before and they are so inexpensive yet so effective. They just look so festive and pretty, and really make a statement which i think is great this time of year.

Thanks to the weather getting wetter, colder and more unpredictable i'm back to the old bun doughnut. I basically use it every day because my hair is so thin that if i get caught in the rain, well lets just say it'd be bad. Plus, the cold just makes my hair look limp and thin, so i just shove it up in a bun and it looks so much more tidy and really completes any look.

Last is my hand sanitiser. I actually keep anti bac on my night stand as i use it frequently throughout the day, and i was using my favourite Soap & Glory one but it was getting a little expensive the amount i was getting through, so when i found this new brand in boots i thought i'd give it a go. It's always on offer and you get more in a bottle, so it works out great for me. It has a lovely scent too which is my main request, so this is just perfect.

K|xo

Something I'm Loving: For Winter

Whittard Instant Tea in Lemon & Lime and Mango & Passionfruit: £5.50 Each

Something that i absolutely love this time of year is Whittard's Instant Tea. I always want to love fruit teas but after trying several, they all just come out far too weak for me. What i love about these is their full bodied flavour, it's super tasty and they come in a range of flavours - even some with green tea in.

My favourites are the super fruity ones, like Lemon & Lime and Mango & Passionfruit. I bought M & P first, and have been enjoying that for over a year now. It's very exotic tasting, and isn't too sweet but just enough. L & L is exactly what it sounds like, it has a little tang to it that makes it really tasty.

I highly recommend giving these a go, and if you have a Whittards near you they often have different flavours out for tasting.

K|xo

#AmericanBeauty | Maybelline Color Whisper by Color Sensational

Maybelline Color Whispers by Color Sensational in Made-It Mauve Maybelline Color Whispers by Color Sensational in Who Wore it Red-Er | Maybelline Color Whispers by Color Sensational in Orange Attitude

Last in my American Beauty series is one of my most anticipated products, as they're very similar to my most favourite lip product, the Revlon Lip Butters. They're packaged very similar, they look very similar but after testing them out they do have some differences.

I would say the main difference between the Lip Butters and the Whispers is that the LBs are very glossy in texture, whereas the Ws are definitely more of a cream finish. However, they don't feel drying and they're comfortable to wear.

Orange Attitude was the one i was a little scared of, as i'm not so sure orange is my colour however, it really is a beauty. It's such a wearable colour which is why i love these creamy, sheerer lip products - however, due to their creamy formula, they are a little more opaque than the Lip Butters. It's just a beautiful, bright, better than lips colour. Of course it has the orange tone to it, but it's nothing too out there and actually just finishes off a look. Who Wore it Red-Er is actually not even a red at all. This is the first bright pink shade that i actually think suits my skintone. It's a beautiful fuchsia pink, but because it's creamy it becomes so much more wearable. It's bold and bright, so would look great with a neutral eye but i also think it'd be fab for day or night, i really love this one. Last is Made-It Mauve which in the bullet actually looks very brown, but it turned out to be exactly as i'd hope it'd be. It's a beautiful berry, mauve colour perfect for the coming seasons and it's quite similar to my favourite Berry Smoothie from Revlon. I love this creamy finish and it is, again, just so wearable.

If you can get your hands on these you really must give them a go because they're just so darn wearable! Can i say wearable again? Wearable.

K|xo

What to Buy: A Student

Gift Vouchers | Skincare Essentials | Magazine Subscription | John Lewis Handel Slipper Boots in Navy | John Lewis 2 Tier Fruit Basket | Culinary Concepts Watering Can Salt and Pepper Set | DVDs |  BHS Sleeping Fox Cushion | BHS Applique Owl Cushion | BHS Multi Love Cushion

Lastly in this years Christmas gift series, is the student. As a student myself i've kind of just suggested what i've really appreciated as gifts over my time as a student.

My personal favourite gift as a student is actually gift cards. As a student, you don't really have money just laying around to buy yourself clothes or treats, so gift cards are a lovely gift. It means they can choose what they'd like to buy without feeling guilty for splurging their student budget. I would suggest perhaps a Boots voucher, because we always need deodorant, shampoo etc, or maybe you know their favourite shop then that would be a lovely gift or even John Lewis where they can buy anything from beauty, to fashion, to stationary, to homeware.

Something else that i love to receive is my favourite skincare and day to day items, such as facial scrubs, face masks, cleansers, cleansing wipes, toners, etc. It just means that you don't have to worry about buying them for yourself and if you pick the items you know they use every day then they'll always be used. Here i've showed you some of my favourite skincare products but you can buy them whatever they personally like to use.

Something else that's really useful for a student is items that they need for their student rooms, for example here i've suggested a fruit bowl or salt and pepper set. If you know that haven't shopped for living away at university yet, then there's hundreds of things you could purchase, for example: pots and pans, calendar, books, laundry basket, blankets, bedding, etc. Especially as a first year, i found that all first year girls love cushions. So buying cushions to match their room would be a lovely gift. It means they can take them through their years away from home from first year all the way to the end.

Until next year, have a happy Christmas shopping season!

K|xo

What to Buy: A Foodie

Gizzi's Kitchen Magic Cook Book | Gok Cooks Chinese Cook Book | Cole & Mason 16 Jar Spice Carousel | Cath Kidston Santa Double Oven Gloves | Vintage by Wayne Hemmingway Carnival Cake Storage | Next Set of Four Platinum Glimmer Wine Glasses | Joseph Joseph Elevate Knives Carousel Set | Emma Bridgewater Biscuit Tin | Cath Kidston Daisy Rose Flour Shaker | Cath Kidston Provence Rose Bowls | John Lewis Polly's Pantry Measuring Cups

I often think the foodies are the easiest to buy for because there are so, so many options out there. You only have to walk into the kitchen section of John Lewis to flooded with ideas, and don't forget Lakeland plus all the homeware sections of the High Street, like Next and Cath Kidston.

If they love trying new things then cook books make for a love gift. I've given a lot of cook book gifts in my time, and they've always been well received especially if you pick a famous chef or one of the pretty books then they could be displayed or proudly shelved with their favourite books.

Are they a baker? Perhaps they love to bake cakes, cookies, brownies and goodness knows what else then maybe a selection of cake tins would be the perfect gift. Or maybe the famous Emma Bridgewater biscuit tin would brighten up a kitchen. I absolutely love this Cath Kidston flour shaker too. This would make for a beautiful addition to any kitchen.

I personally think that if you know the friend loves cooking then a spice rack is a lovely gift. I think that these can really add to any kitchen, and i think they're a really homely touch. You can buy these in loads of different ways, for example: the one above is a turnstile one that swivels around, which are my personal favourite, and it comes with refillable jars so you can choose what you want to add. You can also buy the turnstile racks with actual spice jars, like the ones you buy from the supermarket, and they just click into place.

K|xo