What I got for Christmas *NEW VLOG*


Last year I did a blog post about my Christmas gifts but this year, I've gone for a more personal touch.  Check out what I got for Christmas here....

What did you guys get?  Send me some links to your "What I got for Christmas" vlogs...I wanna see!!!

Xx

Kat must have been on Santa's "Good Girl" list

Well hello there my lovelies, I hope you have had a lovely break over the festive period.

I thought I would share my booty (no, not my ass! No one needs to see that) with you all, my Christmas booty.

Santa was very generous this year and I got a whole heap of goodies to play with;

Nail Frenzy;

For my birthday I was lucky enough to be given a 36w UV nail lamp, since then I have embarked on growing my gel nail polish collection and these babies are setting the bar...



Bluesky Gel Nail Polish - Shade; Decadence #80525
Bluesky Gel Nail Polish - Shade; Neon Coral #A074
Bluesky Gel Nail Polish - French Manicure Set 
Bluesky Gel Nail Polish - Shade; Pink Nude # ND08

No gel manicure is complete without these;

Gellux Prep & Wipe & Remover




Sometimes you just want a quick colour and this gorgeous gift has 10 nail polishes, 2 nail art pens (black & silver) & 2 bottles of colourful embellishments. It is set up like a calendar, so one for each month of 2015, but to be honest I wanted to get them all out and look at them closer so I ripped the packaging before I snapped a pic!

Colour Couture Nail Art Diary 2015



Enbracing the Curls;

I have always wanted to try out the +Moroccan Oil  brand having naturally curly hair. I have heard people rave about these products so when I opened these gifts I was so excited to give them a try. I am yet to try them out but I will do a full review when I do :)

Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask



Moroccan Oil Hydrating Mini Box


This next product was added to my Amazon Wish List after I saw +UglyFaceOfBeauty mention it in one of her videos. I opened this pot straight away and was greeted with the strong scent of coconut oil, it's quite overpowering but I'm sure it's going to be a new fave of mine.

To feed my Make up addiction;

I didn't own any +Sigma Beauty brushes before these landed on my lap. I have +MAC Cosmetics blending brushes and a few from +realtechniques+The Body Shop UK & other sources, so I cannot wait to pit these babies up against my faves to see how they fair... I will let you know....


This +BourjoisFrance bronzer is my go-to product, my baby girl loves the gorgeous chocolate scent so she bought me another one, so I will never run out!


These are my first
+NYX Cosmetics products. +MadeULook Twice's Lex used the eyeshadow base in a tutorial and ever since I have been wanting to try this product.




I love, love, LOVE a +MAC Cosmetics lipstick so these two shades are a welcome addition to my collection, both can be purchased online here;

MAC Lipstick - Shade; Peach Blossom

MAC Lipstick - Shade; Sweet & Sour




I have heard great things about +Coastal Scents palettes so when my bestie bought me this one, I was so excited to try it out. I have heard that it is a dupe for the +Urban Decay Cosmetics Naked Palette, but as I don't own it, I cannot comment.



Coastal Scents - Revealed Palette





Odds & Sods;

Angel Birthstone; Opal (October) Necklace by Angelys - I have a fascination with Opal & Angels so my Mama picked well with this beautiful necklace.

 +Agent Provocateur  - Eau Emotionelle This is one of my favourite perfumes of all time. I had this on my wish list for ages and then recently I was scanning my list and noted that it was missing. So I re-added it assuming I hadn't added it previously. I didn't connect the dots and figure out that my bestie had bought it for me for Xmas!







I have the whole set of Andrew Barton's brushes and I swear by them - I would never let another brush loose on my locks. This brush completes my set...
Andrew Barton - Hair Angel Brush




Penguin Jumper from +Marisota This gorgeously fluffy jumper is now the closest thing I own to a Christmas Jumper. My Mama bought it from Marisota, in a size 22 and it fits perfectly. The penguin is just the cutest little thing!



I hope you love these products as much as I do - if you want a review on anything in particular before you rush out and purchase them please just let me know, but I'm sure they will feature in future posts :)

What did you guys get for Xmas??

The Winter Tag

Thanks to Brenda BusyBee's Blog for giving me the idea to do this awesome Tag. You can check out her one right here; http://brendabusybee.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/the-winter-tag.html

1) What's your favourite seasonal drink from either Starbucks/Costa or your cafe of choice?

See I am a sucker for a basic cuppa; a nice, homemade golden yet milky tea (preferrably Twinings Everyday Tea Bags) in a big Disney mug with 1 & 1/2 sugars. I am yet to find a cafe alternative that can better how I make my perfect cup of tea.

2) What accessories do you opt for? Scarf/boots/gloves?

I am partial to a Scarf but right now I am loving my ASOS Blanket Scarf which is still available to buy for £18.00.
I always opt for fingerless gloves so I have my fingers free for blogging on the go! My current pair are long so they warm your wrists too :)
Winter makes for warm & cosy feet too, so thick fluffy socks teamed with my Gumtree boots from +Simply Be which are very similar to UGGs but at a fraction of the cost.  I have extremely thick calves so finding boots that fit is always a mean feat, but I love these boots.

3) What's your favourite tunes for this time of year?

Winter makes for chill out music in my household, probably because I am always longing to be on a beach somewhere.  Chill out music takes me to my happy place; on a lounger, basking in the summer sun with the sound of waves crashing at my feet...bliss! Try this song on for size and tell me it doesn't make you feel warm inside...
In the lead up to Christmas I will always add a few Carols & Christmas songs into the mix just to get me in the festive mood.


4) What scent or perfume do you find yourself favouring this time of year?

Perfume has gotta be Paco Rabanne's Black XS.  It has a hint of patchouli & black vanilla in it giving it a warm sensual smell.





5) What candle's will you be burning this season?

I have two candle's on rotation in my house; Vanilla or Lemongrass; both scents are invigorating and bring back fond memories :)

6) What is it you love most about winter?

Cosy nights on the sofa with a duvet, any excuse to layer up clothing with fluffy jumpers or comfy PJ's, Snow (when & if it happens) the excitement of Christmas & the changing of the seasons from winter to spring!

7) Your favourite make-up look for Winter?

My signature look of a smoky eye teamed with a berry lip or nude.

8) What are you most looking forward to this winter?

Cracking out my new boots from Simply Be, wearing my new fluffy Penguin Jumper (A Christmas gift from My Mama), spending time with my loved ones & friends over the festive period and eating lots of naughty things like my weight in Christmas chocolates and more roast dinners than you can shake a stick at!

I tag +Leah XL Channel , +Color U Bold & +Cody Wren to do this tag and anyone else who would like to join in, feel free - tweet me your links so I can read up too :)

Merry Christmas xx



Holidays are coming...Catch-up in Pictures

I have had such a busy few weeks what with the run up to Christmas, work parties, shopping & general family life.

Here are my highlights;

My Company Christmas Party;  The Brewery is such a gorgeous venue. It was hosting multiple Christmas Parties on this night as it has lots of different rooms.  Our theme was Dream Circus and the room was decorated very well.  It was definitely a weird feeling watching all the other Companies employees dressed up to the nine's & then our company rocking up in casual clothes! It was cool to by comfy though!  The DJ played some great tunes, but had no idea of how to keep a crowd going.  He would play a banger and then follow it up with a slow jam and people just didn't get it!  Such a shame!  The food was really novel, it was an indian themed buffet of curries, rice & naan breads, but then they were serving mini pies with a dollop of mash & liquor and mini fajitas throughout the night. The highlight of the night has gotta be the photo booth!


Finance Team Meal; It was lovely to sit down & get to know my team.  We ate some lovely food & drank till we were merry!  Good clean fun had by all!


My Secret Santa Gift;  Santa made my day by giving me a retractable Kabuki Brush by Real Techniques. I make Secret Santa a bit of a "G!"





Pandora's Box - on a spare desk in our office we have a hamper filled with goodies and condiments for all to use. This box is rather aptly named "Pandora's Box"  It's usually populated with naughty items like biscuits, cakes & the like.  We each contribute to Pandora so this week as it's Christmas I decided to offer some mini cupcakes from Lola's Cupcakes.  Check out these delectably bite-size mouthfuls of heaven!



Christmas Shopping; Yesterday I had the "pleasure" of doing ALL my Xmas shopping.  The shops weren't nearly as busy as I had expected & I managed to pick up everything I needed without breaking the bank!  

Choir Practice; My Mother is a Choir Leader & every year we host the Christmas masses, so in the two weeks prior to Xmas, we get together on Sunday evening to rehearse the songs.  It always begins to feel Christmassy when I go to these practices, cos we sing all the Carols I love. It really makes my Christmas!

Bloggers Meet-Up;  Anne-Lise (Mookie) of Mookie's Life & I arranged an impromptu mini-meet up at Pizza Express in Reigate.  It was lovely to meet her and her friend Heidi.  They are beautiful ladies with many stories to tell.  It was such a honour to meet Mookie as I had been reading her blog for some time.  Heidi won a competition in Norway when she completed a dramatic weight-loss goal, I was so intrigued by her story.  Both ladies inspire me to be better, so thank you ladies for a lovely evening.


Putting up my Christmas Tree;  I have a Christmas Tree OCD, I need to make sure the tree both is aesthetically pleasing & symmetrical, much to the annoyance of my family. When other people help me decorate the tree, I get annoyed if they position decorations unevenly, to the point that I have been known to get up in the middle of the night and rearrange the tree whilst everyone is asleep. I even go so far as to match my wrapping paper to my tree decs and hide any presents (behind others) that do not match the colour scheme.  So this year, I promised Andy & Mya that I would let them have creative say over the tree.  So here is how they decorated it!









Ben Haenow; You may have heard that the winner of X-Factor UK this year was Ben Haenow.  I had the pleasure of working with Ben in one of my previous jobs.  He is a lovely man and I wish him the very best of luck in his new career.  A few friends of mine came together to his meet up in Croydon town centre to watch him perform.  He sang well and it was lovely to see how excited he was about the up-coming final.

Debs, Nathasha & I then went to Pizza express for some food and catch up.  It's so nice to spend time with these ladies, I love them but we all lead such busy lives, it's hard to get time to see each other often.


The Perfect Occasion Maxi from Simply Be

I had been eyeing up this gorgeous number in the +Simply Be Catalogue for some time, but at the original price of £95.00 I just could not bring myself to press the "buy" button. 
Then the Christmas fairy sent me a gift... I got a voucher for money off and I managed to nab this number at a discounted price of £76.00 instead!


The colour is somewhere between royal blue and violet.  The top half is lace over a bodice and the skirt has a waterfall drop combined with a lovely embellishment at the middle to bring it all together.

The material is quite slinky, so I opted for shapewear underneath to hide any lumps/bumps.

I bought this in a size 20 although I would usually opt for a 22 for comfort and I am glad I didn't to be honest, the 22 would have been too big.  The arms fit nicely and no part feels too fitted,  

This dress makes me feel glam!

You can pick it up here; 
Joanna Hope - Lace Bodice Maxi Dress


It would be perfect for weddings or the more formal Christmas do's, but unfortunately mine is a casual affair this year and if I wore this I would be extremely overdressed! :(

Oh well...I will just have to organise an event to wear it to!
What do you think?


What's in my #NotSoSecretSantaSwap Box

I am thoroughly chuffed about the items +Leah XL Channel picked for me.

Here is everything I got;

Cherimoya Gel Eyeliner in Black - I tried this out today and I am impressed.  The mini brush is a little awkward but it is very handy.  The product is thick yet glides on effortlessly. I can tell we are going to be great friends!

A handy desk tidy which I have already found a use for.  I needed another brush holder, so this couldn't have come at a better time.  When I saw Leah talk about this on one of her haul vids I was eyeing it up, so I was so pleased when I opened it!

Khroma "Shebang" Quick Transformation Kit.  I haven't used this product yet, I'm saving it for an occasion where I need to use the lashes - so perhaps my Christmas Party?  It's taken from the Kardashian Make up line for which production has had to be halted due to legalities around the brand name.  :( Oh well, I didn't understand the relevance of "Khroma" anyways!


Next is a travel size pot of Philosophy's "Hope in a Jar"  I have heard great things about this product.  It has a gorgeous scent and silky texture, I cannot wait to use it.

3 x Rimmel London Apocalips - Lip Laquers.
I already love the middle colour; Stellar, so the addition of the Nude Eclipse & Apocaliptic is welcome in my make up case :)

Swatches - From top to bottom; Nude Eclipse, Stellar, Apocaliptic.





I also got a Chocolate Shimmer Bronzer & two eyeshadow palettes; Go Palette & Go to Hell Palette
I haven't had the chance to swatch these yet.


My little bit of sparkle was provided by a lovely little bracelet with little diamante-like stones in the bow



Next was a Makeup Revolution Mono eyeshadow in the shade; "Blow your Whistle"  It's a little wild for me and out of my comfort zone, but I am sure I can "werk" the colour in somehow over the festive period! :)


The next few products I love, love, love! Here is the Rimmel London Colour Rush in the shade "Rumour has it"  This balm is so rich and the colour is quite intense.  I can see me using this a lot!

Below are 4 Makeup Revolution Lip Glosses - as below from left to right; (swatches from top to bottom)
"Must be Strong", "Hush Hush", "Baby Try" & "Not Naive"
I LOVE these glosses, they have a distinct fruity scent which takes me back to my school days & smell good enough to eat!  They are a lot more pigmented then I had imagined. They have a creamy yet sheer consistency which left my lips                                 feeling moisturised rather than dry like other lip glosses.







Next we have my accessory; a pair of "Kat''' Ears.  I love these!  How apt! (Excuse the bare-faced selfie - I had to show them off!

Leah was naughty and bought me two high end products; this Elizabeth Arden, Maximum Volum Mascara is fabulous and so thick.  This may just replace my current mascara for day to day use!
















...and last but by no mean least... my high end item;  a gorgeous YSL travel palette.  This has a very handy mirror and contains; 4 eyeshadows, two lipsticks & a blush/highlight & 3 applicators.  The packaging tops it off - I love the leather covering it is so eyecatching.  I hope the colours work for me!

I am so glad that Leah agreed to swap with me. Every product is lovely and I am very grateful that she took the time to pick them. I have found Leah to be a kind and beautiful lady and I am honoured to have shared this experience with her.

My box has just arrived at her house, so I wait in eager anticipation of her unboxing video.

Hope she loves it as much as I loved mine!!

#Unboxing #NotSoSecretSantaSwap with Leah XL

My #Unboxing Video is here!


+Leah XL Channel's parcel hasn't reached her just yet, but she will upload her vid as soon as possible...

This was such a fun experience. Leah's picks were gorgeous and well thought out.  I am so pleased to have collaborated with such a lovely woman, she's a star!

I will do a post tomorrow of all the products I got with some tests/swatches :)

Once again....thank you Leah, my gifts were AMAZING!!!

Feature on The #Beauty & #MakeupJunkie Daily

Special mention & thanks to +Lizza Monet Morales (xoxolizza) for the feature on her paper; 

The #Beauty & #MakeupJunkie Daily


She very kindly featured my previous article The "Not So Secret Santa" Swap, a collab with +Leah XL Channel in the Arts & Entertainments section.

I'm super humbled by this mention - thank you very much, I'm honoured.

Please make sure to check out Lizza's paper, her features are relevant and make for an interesting read and she's a beautiful lady to boot!

Get involved; 







The "Not So Secret Santa" Swap

I contacted Leah XL of Style XL yesterday in the hopes of enticing her into a collab and much to my surprise she accepted!

We have agreed to do an Xmas Swap including;

1 High End Item
1 Item I couldn't live without
1 Organisation Item
1 Cute Item
1 Accessory
& 5 Drugstore products

I am so excited about this swap and especially cos it's Christmas soon and I love giving gifts. It's really filling me with Christmas Cheer :)

I popped out yesterday to buy her High End item and managed to grab a few of the other bits too.  Leah's style is quirky & unique and she's got a keen eye for a bargain so I hope she enjoys my "Not So Secret Santa" Box. 

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Leah's blog, bought tickets to her event; Style XL or watched any of her videos you're missing out. Get acquainted!!

We have agreed to send our parcels on the 8th Dec so the unveiling videos can be up during the festive period, so watch this space....