Well hello there m’dear! Another review post for you is presenting itself in my Christmas and Birthday gift haul! A little disclaimer; I’m in no way trying to ‘show off’ as for starters I’ve chosen select items to review of which I believe complement this blog, I’m appreciative of all of my gifts although gifts aren’t the point, it’s the people you have around you. I’m sharing this post as I know many enjoy these types of hauls, as do I, and of course because I’m briefly reviewing these items. No hidden agenda. Now, where were we? If you would like to have a nosy at my fashion, beauty and other exciting treasures then please read on!

Fragrance

I’m in no way a fragrance expert and aren’t successful when it comes to sniffing out the individual scents of peach, freesia, jasmine etc – therefore please excuse me on this. I will try my best and of course if you would like to know more about a product then Google is your friend, a simple search will provide you with everything you need to know I’m sure.

Anna Sui – Rock Me!
This is a very light, refreshing and beautiful scent. With a mix of floral tones and a hint of water based aromas this is unique and in no way over done, it’s just right and is perfect for daytime use.

Impulse Charli XCX Rock & Love Body Spray
This is very scented however not harsh! Rock & Love definitely has the kick ass rock vibe laced with fruity and fresh feminine tones.

Cosmetics
I received a vast array of cosmetic treats this year which is exactly what I were wanting, I felt like a small child in a toy shop! The products I have been gifted are all so incredible and I’m one delighted woman indeed!

Urban Decay Naked Smoky
You’ve heard of this I’m sure, everybody has heard of Urban Decay a countless amount of times. I’ve been wanting a Naked palette for so long but have never got around to acquiring one therefore this year I popped the Naked Smoky on my Christmas list, my Mom being the amazing legendary woman that she is didn’t fail to disappoint. I’ve always wondered what it is that makes the Naked range so sought after and thought it must be an incredible product given the price range. I’m really fussy when it comes to make-up and spending a lot of money so I tend to stick to drugstore brands mostly and because of this I held off for a while, concerned about the instance I may not get on well with it. Pshh! What a silly notion that is, I’m in friggin’ love with this beauty! The palette itself is absolutely stunning, the colours are gorgeous and are shades of which will be used regularly, the pigmentation is great and the product glides on like a dream. With a slightly creamy texture it works perfectly to combat creasing and is incredibly long wearing. There’s of course a nice large mirror inside and I can’t fault the brush included either! It’s double ended with the smaller crease brush picking up so much product to create extra pigmentation for even different brand products, and is the perfect size for dabbing a highlight colour into the corner of the eye. The larger fluffy end is the best brush imaginable for blending and smoking out any colour. It’s so well made and sturdy eradicating the chance of fiber loss and has such a soft application, making it heaven to use. I honestly believe that everyone needs a Naked palette in their collection somewhere!

W7 In The Night Palette
When I first opened this I wondered if it could potentially be a dupe for Naked Smoky because many of the colours are alike. Whilst it’s not to the same level of quality it is definitely like this in terms of pigmentation and the added vibrancy when used with a damp brush. The colours are definitely dupe worthy (if that’s a correct term), therefore I recommend this to anybody wanting the Naked Smoky who are on a lower budget. The textures are different as Naked is a little more creamy whilst this is more dusty. It’s been said however that this is a dupe for Too Faced although I can’t comment on this as I’ve never used Too Faced products. In The Night has a double ended applicator with a sponge on one end and a small brush on the other. The brush is great although a little small for the lid and is better for applying colour on the outer v, lower lash line and highlighting the brow bone. The names of colours are on the back of the case which I really like as many palettes don’t include this. I find having different shades named makes it much easier when blogging with regard to posts such as Face Of The Day.

Make-Up Revolution London Ultra Eyeshadows Palette – Eyes Like Angels
A mix of 32 highly pigmented eyeshadows including mattes and shimmers, basics and WOW colours. As always Make-Up Revolution London have done themselves proud, these shadows are incredibly pigmented and are a dream to play around with. This brand has the most phenomenal range of stunning shades. There’s a mirror included and the palette itself also isn’t too large, making it a great choice for travelling without having to compromise on colour options.

Make-Up Revolution London Salvation Palette – Girls On Film
Girls On Film is a lovely little palette with 12 shimmers and 6 mattes, there’s a good selection of autumnal colours such as golds, purples and smoky darker shades. This also includes a mirror and a double ended sponge applicator. Whilst I don’t like to use sponge applicators this is a really good size as it’s longer, in my opinion this would be easier to use due to it not being the typical small fiddly sized sponge. Again, this palette has excellent pigmentation.

Collection #ConcealAndLightLikeAPro Palette
Including correctional colours, different shades of concealer and a highlight this palette has a great assortment of products. There are instructions on the back to tell you which product does which job which is amazing for make-up novices or someone who is new to correctional concealers. The darker concealer can of course double up as contour. The product goes on well and is very easily blended, it doesn’t feel as cakey as I thought a creme based product would. Complete with a handy mirror inside.

Gosh Brow Kit
The shades included are a great range and exactly what is required, the brush is precise and an appropriate size also isn’t too soft which I like as I feel this gives a better application. The mirror inside is magnifying which is very well needed and there’s a small instruction sheet included which is easy to understand and tells you everything you need to know about what the shades and gel is for, regardless of this being quite obvious. I love that it isn’t just different shades to fill the brows in but also has the setting gel, which isn’t the awful sticky consistency that I thought it would be – it doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

Sleek True Colour Sheen Lipstick – Smother
Smother is a gorgeous purple colour which comes out looking a very bright berry shade on the lips. Only one swipe is needed to get a remarkable colour pay off and the sheen formula makes it glide on beautifully as if it’s a gloss but without the awful sticky feeling, fully moisturizing your lips whilst making them appear slightly plumper. I’m unsure if this is due to the colour but I’m pleased about it none the less.

Sleek True Colour Sheen Lipstick – Mulberry
This is a dark brown shade and also applies beautifully and looks stunning. Due to being a sheen and creamy consistency this means that both lipsticks will need to be re-applied frequently. Most definitely my new favourite lipsticks, I’m overjoyed with them both.

Revlon Nail Polish – 585 Bohemian
A thin consistency generates a quick, easy and smooth application to the nail. I’ve found this drys fast also, which is new to me as most polishes tend to take forever to dry in my eyes. This is a gorgeous metallic blue shade with sparkles which creates a stunning result on the nails. I also got Rebel Graffiti which is a black and white splattered overlay but also looks incredible used alone. I’ve found this to have incredible longevity although if this is helped by having acrylic nails I don’t know. It hasn’t chipped once and I’ve been wearing it since my birthday (27/12). I’ve already let this creep into my Make-Up collection and were unfortunately unable to find it for this post.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid – NW13
I wrote a little something about this in a previous post ‘Running Dry’ which will be a little more in depth than this. It’s my go to foundation at the minute which I consider to be a medium but buildable coverage with great longevity even in humid temperatures.

LyDia’s Cosmetics Brushes 24 piece set with case.
These were gifted to me by a friend and I’m so happy with them. This is exactly what I needed as I don’t have many brushes and some of the ones I do were in need of replacing, I’d actually been eyeing up some brush sets like this myself of recent. The brushes are a great quality and feel very soft, the case is amazing for storing them all away nicely too and is simple to pack up when travelling. Brushes I’m adoring mostly include the brow brushes, large powder brush and the smudging brush for the eyes. A  brush set is a wonderful gift
idea for any make-up lover also incredibly useful!

Jewellery

Pandora Birthstone Ring – December
I were surprised and overjoyed to discover a Pandora Birthstone ring tucked away with my Birthday presents last month, surprisingly it fits perfectly and looks amazing. I’m not usually too much of a ring person because I never have a clue what ring size I am also I have rather chubby fingers which swell up in different temperatures, we all need a statement piece though, right? The Pandora rings are so pretty and my birthstone happens to be a gorgeous colour too, bonus.

Primark Earrings & Primark Ring Set 3 Piece
The ring pack has a nice amount of rings and is incredibly pretty with a gorgeous deep pink colour, I absolutely adore the marble effect finish on two of the rings, these are perfect for easily accessorizing an outfit. The earrings dangle quite low and are noticeable even when wearing my hair down, they don’t feel heavy like many others can and are made with stunning colours which compliment one another perfectly.

Clothing

First up my ‘Aliens Believe In Us’ tee. Ridiculously comfortable and extremely cute, this top is a H&M delight and I adore it. What’s better than aliens and animals? Exactly! Next is another number from H&M and is a patterned crop top. The pattern is unique and perfect for the summer due to the type of top and the bright and fun design, this will definitely jazz up an outfit.

Miscellaneous
Other gifts including games and books.

Tesco 2016 Diary
A gift from another friend and proving incredibly useful for forcing myself into becoming more organised is this fantastic diary. It’s attractive to the eye and offers slight motivation with it’s cover statement “Live the life you have imagined”, I have an intense desire to fill it with many exciting activities and events. Each day has a full page giving ample space to jot down all required details for different events or meetings, there’s a list of annual holidays for different religions, year overview planner, calendar, the usual personal details section, notes and contacts pages, useful websites and even graph paper. Additional to this there’s train and airport information for the UK and a map of the London Underground! This is amazing as I’d like to get a little out of my comfort zone and explore my coutry a little more this year. There’s a little ribbon attached to use as a bookmark, this is convenient considering it’s such a huge diary!

Sims 4 Expansion Packs: Get Together and Get To Work
I’m loving ‘Get Together’ due to the additional town it creates and the many added social features for the Sims, these features bring the game alive in a much more authentic and realistic way, making it really enjoyable to play and providing so much to do. ‘Get To Work’ I haven’t fully experienced yet due to my Sim being happy in her current job however I’m really excited to explore new careers and to build my own business empire. I love The Sims 4 so far although toddlers is a HUGE thing for me and for basic story progression. I really hope that EA figure something out soon because they’ve already lost so many customers due to leaving out this key part of the game and honestly it does ruin it somewhat for me as I refuse to have families and develop them until we get toddlers back! We got pools back and for me that weren’t as much of an issue – sort it out EA!

The Host – Stephanie Meyer
Paper Towns – John Green
The Girl You Left Behind – Jojo Moyes
The Last Letter from your Lover – Jojo Moyes

I’m a huge bookworm and can’t wait to read these, I’ve read other books from all of these authors and have really enjoyed them which excites me even more. I have already read The Host and I adored it so much that I needed my own copy to read again whenever I want, I also have the DVD – if you would like a review of any of these don’t hesitate to let me know.

Did we receive any of the same gifts? If so what are your thoughts? If you have your own gift haul post then please let me know, I’d love to have a peek.

With Love,
Disaster Davis x

(Original Post on WordPress)