Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017

Well, 2016 is almost complete and what a year it has been! It only feels like yesterday that I was sitting down at the end of 2015, writing my goals and resolutions for this year. 2016 has gone unbelievably fast, and despite having so many lows, I am so proud to say that I have achieved almost all of the goals I set myself. Like I said last year, setting goals is so important. I find that this motivates me and gives me a chance to reflect on the year gone by.

Merry Christmas & Christmas Home Touches

Hi everyone! I want to start this post by wishing all my gorgeous readers a very merry Christmas!! I hope you all have a wonderful day and spend it with the ones you love the most!

I haven't been able to post half as much as I have wanted to this month, due to work commitments, which is so annoying! I have taken so many photos and typed up so many posts, but have not been 100% happy with them. I am such a perfectionist, so when I hit publish I want to be sure everything is perfect! But nevertheless I really hope you have all enjoyed the posts I have managed to get up!!

Today I thought I would share with you a few little snaps of some of the Christmas decorations in my home this year. Nothing gets you in the festive mood more than a few little christmas decorations, so as you can imagine, our house is filled with them!

Once again, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year, although I will be back before then!

Darriyan xx

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Beauty Advent Calendar | Benefit

Beauty advent calendars are something that I have always loved the idea of. Opening a beauty product everyday is so exciting, especially a brand like Benefit. I had seen this calendar featured on a lot of blogs in November, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on it as soon as payday came along!

This calendar came with 12 products, which all have a total value of £64, which is really good considering the RRP is currently £34.  However, what I wasn't aware of, was that the products could be classed as sample sized. They are absolutely tiny! And if I am being honest, if i knew this, I probably wouldn't have bought it. But, I guess in a way, this is good for people who have never tried Benefit products and want to see which products suit them best without splashing out on the full sized versions. 

BADgal Lash Mascara: I am so glad this calendar came with two mascaras, because these are the two I have always wanted to try. However, with that being said, the sizes were so small it made them really hard to use. It was practically impossible to use it without getting it all over my eyeshadow, which is the most annoying thing everrrr!! Despite this, I am still not a big fan of this mascara. The brush is very big and leaves my lashes looking extremely clumpy and short. 

They're real! Lengthening Mascara: This is definitely my favourite out of the two mascaras. Although still hard to use due to the small wand, it creates length and volume whilst still looking natural!

They're real! Eye Makeup Remover: I can't say I have ever used a makeup remover that has been easier to use than this one... It removes harsh eye makes so easily without pulling at your eyelashes! All you need are cotton pads! Squirt a little bit on, rub over the eyes and voila! Your makeup is gone!

Benetint Cheek and Lip Stain Trio: I honestly don't think I have everrrrr came across three products that are so pointless. When I opened these and saw what they were i was unbelievably disappointed. They, in my opinion, don't work all that well. Either that or I can't apply them properly. They just leave me with bright red blotches on my cheeks which i can tell you, is not an attractive look!! And the colours aren't that flattering either!

Hoola Bronzer, Dandelion Powder & High Beam Highlighter: My personal three favourites from the calendar. The hoola bronzer looks lovely once applied. It gives a very natural matte look, but again the size is so small it is very hard to use properly. The Dandelion powder is another product I love. It can be used as a blush, but also as a brightening powder which is what I use it for. It makes your face look so much healthier by just applying one coat! And finally, the High Beam highlighter is gorgeous! It leaves your skin glowing and is very buildable depending on how much you like to wear. I will 100% be purchasing all three of these products full sized!

Ultra Plush Lip Gloss: Not being a fan of lipgloss, as you can imagine, I wasn't ecstatic when opening this lipstick. However, when trying it on I was pleasantly surprised. I applies super easily and doesn't feel sticky of heavy on the lips! However, I wouldn't go as far as to say I would purchase this full sized,  but I will definitely enjoy it whilst it lasts!

POREfessional &  Its Potent! Eye Cream: Huge pores is something I have suffered with for years, especially around my nose. Having never tried this product before I was very excited to give it a try... and wow! To say I was impressed would be a huge understatement. This product minimses the appearance of not only my pores but also other imperfections which leaves my skin looking flawless! It applies super easily and is definitely something I will also be buying! This eye cream is also something I have fallen in love with. Have dark circles? Look no further. This eye cream instantly brightens eyes and leaves your skin firm! What more could you want?!

Overall, I haven't been super impressed with most of the products in this calendar. However, it has allowed me to try products I hadn't before and I will be making a few cheeky purchases over the next few weeks!

What advent calendar have you got this year? And have you tried any Benefit products before? If so which is your favourite?

Darriyan xx

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Homemade Mince Pies

Okay, I have to admit, I am not the biggest fan of mince pies. There's something about the mincemeat filling that puts me off them. However, with that being said, I love making them for other people! They're the perfect treat for Christmas day or even Christmas parties, and seeing and smelling them in my house makes it really feel like Christmas!

What you will need:

60g Cold Butter

340g Plain Flour

110g Cold Vegetable Fat

350g Mincemeat

Splash Of Full-Fat Milk

Method:

1) Preheat your oven to 200℃. Lightly grease the cupcake/muffin tray.

2) Mix the flour, fat and butter between your fingers until crumbly. Add 6 tablespoons of water and combine to make pastry.

3) Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3-4mm. Use a fluted round pastry cutter(if you have one) and cut 12 circles big enough to fit the holes in the tray.

4) Press the pastry firmly down into each hole and fill with a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat.

5) Cut out stars or Christmas trees to form the lid

6) Using a pastry brush, brush the milk over the exposed pastry. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I think these are some of the easiest festive treats to make, that your family and friends will love! Let me know if you'll be giving these pies a try! And if you do, don't forget to tweet me pictures!

Darriyan xx

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Christmas Playlist

Christmas isn't Christmas without music. I don't know about any of you but I start blasting the Christmas tunes early October. Now that the Christmas ads are being shown, and Mariah Carey is slowly creeping onto the radio, I think its more than acceptable to start with the Christmas songs.  I thought I would put together a cute little Christmas playlist for you all to listen to over the holidays, filled with the best songs! You can't pretend it isn't almost Christmas anymore! So give in, press play, turn up the volume and dance around your house like a crazy person to this playlist!