What I Got For Christmas 2020

Hi my beauties, hope all is well and a  Happy New Year.  How are we already a fortnight into January 2021? I mean 2021 is already shaping up to be quite a year with the UK back in yet another lockdown until God knows when and like most parents I’m back to trying my best to homeschool a four-year-old, maintain my sanity and keep order in the house. Last year went by so quickly but then some months went by so slowly. Well, I know like most people I was ready to say goodbye, Auf Wiedersehen, and Hasta La Vista Baby to the year that was 2020. This Christmas was an unusual one as for many families here in the UK as we were all living under some form of restrictions that meant family time was either limited to one day and 3 households or completely restricted at all. Luckily we were allowed one day to spend time with my household, my mum and my siblings. Who it wouldn’t be Christmas day without them ringing me up to see where I am so they can open presents. I think for many of us the last year has been difficult as we have faced many months in isolation from the rest of our families/friends so I think it made me realise that the true meaning of Christmas is not about presents it’s about spending time with your loved ones in any shape or form be it in person, a phone call, a letter or a video call. Now I know theirs a love/hate relationship with these type of posts and especially after the last year, we’ve all had. I’ve been humming and Arrrring about whether to post or not but I’ve decided to because if you’re like me your a Nosey Parker then these posts interest you. I was incredibly spoilt this year by all my family so I wanna say a huge thank you to every one of you either for your presents but most importantly your time and presence in my life (who is this and where’s Nicolle). So without further ado here’s what I got for Christmas 2020.

The ASOS 24 Day  Beauty Calendar 2020

I loved mine so much last year that I couldn’t wait to get this year’s and its the only thing I had on my Christmas wish list. I was upset when it sold out in November so when it came back in stock for a very limited time I don’t think I’ve ever clicked checkout on something as fast. Why do you ask? Well for starters you get £360 worth of products for just £75 with 13 full-size products for hair, skincare and makeup from a range of different beauty brands some brands are brand new to the box this year such as the psychic sisters face roller which I love. The calendar also includes a clear acrylic storage box which I am using to store all my new makeup that needs to be out of reach from a makeup loving child. A full list of products including;

• Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator: 15ml
• Dr. PAWPAW Ultimate Red Balm: 25ml
• Dr.Jart+Cicapair Calming Sheet Mask
• Elemis Pro-collagen Marine Cream: 30ml,
• Emma Hardie Pink Clay Detox Mask: 15ml
• Eylure Enchanted Lash
• First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser: 56.7g
• Indeed Laboratories In-Circadian Night Mask: 50ml
• Laura Mercier Blurring Primer: 25ml
• Living Proof 5 in 1: 30ml
• MAC Marrakesh Traditional Lipstick Bullet
• Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste: 10ml
• Nip + Fab Vitamin C Tonic: 100ml
• Origins Clear Improvement Mask: 75ml
• Psychic Sisters Rose Quartz Face Roller
• Shiseido Ultimune: 10ml
• Spectrum B08 Brush
• Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic (5ml) + CEO Vit C Serum: 5ml
• The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG: 30ml
• This works Love Sleep Spray: 10ml
• Too Faced Cosmetics Better Than Sex Mascara: 3.9g
• Aveda Daily Damage Repair: 100ml
• Bare Minerals SKINLONGEVITY Vital Power Infusion: 7.5ml
• BECCA Backlight Priming Filter: 15ml

Soap And Glory Gift Set.

 

I’m a big fan of the Soap And Glory line, it smells beautiful but also has skin benefits. Their hand cream is one of the best I’ve tried. In this gift set which came in a cute candy-striped metal tin, you receive :

 

• Clean On Me shower creme gel -500ml in a handy pump bottle. This should last me ages providing my little one doesn’t get her hands on it and decides to use it as a bubble bath.
• Clean A-Colada Hydrating Body Wash – 500ml. A new product from soap and glory I’m yet to try, it smells like a Pina Colada so I will be using this and imagining I’m on a tropical beach somewhere drinking Pina Coladas.
• The Scrub of Your Life 200ml – the iconic body buffer now in a tube easier to use and more hygienic.
• Your best shot coffee & Oat Scrub 180g – this is also a special edition I love the look of these coffee scrubs so will be using this as the weather gets nicer.
• The Righteous Body Butter 300ml-  another iconic product that I have used before and loved.
• Drop in the Lotion Body Lotion 500ml – another product from the coconut range that I’m yet to try I love the smell of coconut. I love that it’s in a pump bottle making it easier to use.
• Hand Food 50ml – one of my favourite products of theirs, it smells lovely, hydrates hands without leaving them to greasy and great size for the handbag.
• Vitamin C facial wash 350ml – I love vitamin C products especially the brightening effect they have on the skin if there work.
• Sheet Masks – A radiance Boosting mask & a Pore Refining Mask
• Thick and Fast HD Mascara

I love the fact that this giftset contains products to pamper you from your head to toes and contains iconic products and products from the new ranges, the sizes of products are really good as well and should last me until next year.

Glossybox black Friday Box

I also received a selection of make up, haircare and skincare items. A girl can never have enough beauty items though. I got the special edition GlossyBox Black Friday edition which featured :

• Invisibobbles – you can’t have enough bobbles im constantly losing bobbles and always have one around my wrist, these cause fewer tangles in your hair and don’t leave kinks.
• Eye Lash Curler – before this box I’ve not had an eyelash curler in years but after seeing all the supermodels on vogue videos use these. I can’t wait to try them in the hope that they make me look more modelesque (a girl can dream).
• Bang Beauty warm neutral eyeshadow palette – a great handbag-sized palette with matte and shimmer high pigmented shades that help you create a natural look or a darker smokey eye.
• Bodyography pro makeup brush cleanser –  I’ve never tried a proper makeup brush cleaner before I normally just use baby shampoo. I’m hoping this one makes it quicker and easier and I can clean after each use as I need to clean my brushes more in 2021.
• Nudestix cream lip and Cheek pencil – a brand I’ve wanted to try for ages, provides lips with a nude colour, left lips feeling smooth, I also used on my cheeks providing them with a natural-looking flush of colour blends easily into the skin.
• Luxie Small Duo Fibre Brush
• Tony Moly I’m acerola Mask Sheet
• Phillip Kingsley Elasticiser deep conditioning treatment sachet
• Pitt Balm grapefruit organic Deodorant – a natural deodorant made from organic products in a plastic-free and refillable container so great for the environment it smells great too yet to see how effective this is as a deodorant.

Spectrum Collection Perfect Blend  Brush Set

A pink and Blue 8 piece vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow brush set. This set contains everything you need from brushes to apply base colours, brushes to blend the base colour smaller brushes to apply details and blending brushes to blend these and a liner brush. The brushes are super soft, pick up a lot of pigment more than my real technique brushes and blend shadow easily.

Abbott Lyon Black Top Handle Quilted Bag.

I picked this bag myself on line but as a gift as it gave me YSL meets Chanel vibes and im a trying to live that champagne lifestyle but on a lemonade budget. I was so impressed with this bag on Christmas Day as online and the pictures don’t do it any justice it’s super cute (smaller than what I thought but in a good way), looks more expensive than it is and is really good quality and the chain that it comes with is super heavy and a good quality chain. I also purchased the N for the bag as I thought it would make it look more luxurious but I don’t think you need it after seeing the bag in person.

Micheal Kors Belt Bag

A gift from me to me because why the hell not especially after last year. I picked up this bag in Tk.Maxx for only £16. Ive wanted a belt bag for ages and dont have many bags in this colour. This will be great for shopping and out getting my daily exercise as it fits my phone, headphones and cards and let’s me be hands free without worrying about those pesky pick pockets as it’s on me.

Shoes

I kinda hoped when I bought these as another gift to myself that we would be able to be dancing the night away in a fancy bar or just wear them for a meal out but no Covid had other plans for us all. I bought these as I couldn’t resist the glitter and sparkle im still a big kid at heart. The heel is also not too high, cuz long gone are the days of me dancing the night away in skyscrapers or staying out past midnight these days.

Perfume

I mean who doesn’t love receiving perfume (unless it smells bad). Luckily for me these two perfumes are right up my street as both are fruity with hints of floral.

• Elie Saab Girl of Forever Now – A fruity yet floral perfume with top notes of raspberry and citrus with heart notes of a special unique blend of rose blackcurrant and orange blossom almond with base notes of wood, patchouli and vanilla make this one perfume that is fun but flirty.
• Valentino Donna – A perfume belonging to the floral oriental family with top notes of grapefruit, bergamot and blackcurrant, followed by a blend of rose, and sweet peach with base notes of iris, patchouli and vanilla. Creating a smell that is elegantly sensual and celebrates everything female.

Handbag essentials

I mean the most important accessories and essential thing you need in your bag these days apart from your purse, phone and keys is the whole important face mask. This face mask is fashionable and more importantly comfortable as it fits and is adjustable and what’s better is it has a matching headband my other fave accessories apart from hats cuz these days its too much to wear a hat, glasses and mask.  Another important handbag essential is an umbrella especially here in the UK when it rains most days and I don’t own a waterproof hooded coat (i know I should invest in one).

Jewellery

How cute are these earrings and what’s greater about them is that they’re homemade by a small local Yorkshire business Seraph Jewellery .

Kitchen stuff

I love cooking and discovered my passion for making homemade food in 2020 thanks to the Pinch of Nom books I highly recommend to anyone even if you’re not trying to lose weight but just want to make good tasty homemade food. My fave recipes from the Pinch of Nom books are the fakeaway recipes, so I was delighted when I got this fakeaway cookbook from Chris Bavin with recipes from all your favourite takeaways so far I have made a Mexican fish dish that would have been nice if I wouldn’t have had a salt mishap but can confirm the homemade peri-peri sauce is better than Nandos (overrated in my opinion anyway don’t @ me). I also received some new kitchen utensils as my wooden spoons had seen better days. These also have tool rests stopping your sides getting messy and are more hygienic.

Stationary

Who doesn’t love stationary especially diaries and notebooks so I can at least attempt to get my shit together or at the very least look organised? This diary features pages where you can write your goals and dreams for 2021, your plans for 2021, big project planners, a week to view the page with to-do lists and goals for the week sections etc a one-stop book to help me hopefully get my shit together and be that organised human that I so long to be.

Pyjamas

Is it even Christmas if you don’t receive at least one pair of pyjamas. How cute are these star print silky 3 piece pyjamas that you could probably get away with wearing out the house come summer?

Candles and Aroma Diffuser

I love candles and my little brother picked these candles himself they match my living room perfectly and smell divine they almost look beautiful to light. After year’s and years of wanting an aroma diffuser, I finally got one and I love it, it makes my house smell so good and when paired with the eucalyptus essential oil If I feel a bit chesty you can feel your chest starting to get better. the mood light is super relaxing too. I’m looking forward to getting more essential oils for different ailments and moods.

Alcohol and chocolate.

Lockdown essentials enough said!!