My Favourite Christmas Films!

Hi guys!

 

It's the third and final installment of my countdown of Christmas entertainment, i've already covered my favourite Christmas TV (link here) and my favourite Christmas songs (link here) and this post is dedicated to my favourite Christmas films!

 

Who doesn't love a good Christmas film at this time of year, I bet well all watch a heck of a lot more films around Christmas time than any other time of year. That is certainly the case for me. The Christmas films are great as they cater for the young and the old, your entire family can sit down together and watch them. I just love it.

 

So without further a do, let's get cracking!

 

 

Elf

 

I've started off with a good one, honestly this has become one my favourite Christmas films. It is ridiculously funny, Will Ferrell is a genius actor and he manages to make this film not only very funny but also heartwarming and sweet at the same time, there is a real heart to it and this film is considered a modern Christmas movie classic and I can see why. I'm laughing now as I write this as I think of some funny moments. "SANTAAA!!!"

 

 

The Santa Clause

 

I can remember watching this film when I was younger and laughing my socks off at Santa falling off the roof, don't know why I found that so funny but it's stuck with me, and now that I come to think of it Santa falling off the roof shouldn't be funny, but if you've seen this film and know what scene i'm talking about, you'll understand where i'm coming from. If I think of which Christmas film to watch then this one is always the first I think of, it's a great story and one which will guarantee to put a smile on my face every Christmas.

 

Santa Clause - The Movie

 

Not to be confused between the film I just discussed, everyone mixes them up and I still do from time to time. This film, is Christmas in a nutshell. It is literally perfection. You cannot top it. Released in 1985 with the amazing Dudley Moore, everything from the amazing toy shop, the reindeers, oh the whole thing is how you'd expect the North Pole to be. Just watch it now if you haven't.

 

 

Love Actually

 

This film is so different to all the others i've talked about, it doesn't focus on Santa Clause or anything to do with the North Pole, it focuses on people. Different relationships at Christmas from husband and wife, unrequited love, child love, you name it they have it. The cast is ridiculously amazing! Cream of the crop when it comes to British actors. My particular favourite is between Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon's characters, and Hugh Grant's dancing always makes me laugh. It's the kind of film that really makes you think about your loved ones and it'll make you feel so good and yes it'll make you cry, but in a good way. Not only one of my favourite ever Christmas films, but one of my favourite films! To quote the film - "To me, you are perfect."

 

 

 

The Holiday

 

If you're after another romantic comedy film this Christmas then The Holiday would be right up there after Love Actually. This four cast helping is a genius combination, and it'll make you laugh and cry. The two girls swapping homes for Christmas and meeting the two guys and it all just makes their lives better, and just makes them happier. This film is on a lot over Christmas, especially on one of the ITV channels, i've already seen it twice on the ITV channels and it's only 17th December! The cast is just brilliant, and the two stories are very heartwarming. Beautiful!

 

 

I know i've missed out a load of other classics e.g. Home Alone, The Grinch, The Polar Express, The Muppets A Christmas Carol are just five I can think of, even though I love those films too I wanted to just do my Top 5.

 

What are your favourite Christmas films?

 

Merry Christmas!!!

 

Love

Amy

xxx

 

 

***DISCLAIMER***

All views/opinions are my own.



Christmas Wrapping!

You either hate wrapping all the wonderful presents you have bought your family and friends for Christmas, or you revel in it! I for one really don't like wrapping and am not much good at it, unlike my sister who is very good and i'm always asking her to help me wrap the more tricky items.

 

But what makes the wrapping process somewhat easier is knowing you are wrapping them in beautiful paper and assorted wrapping accessories such as ribbon. So I thought i'd give you a taste as to what is out there to buy on the high street, if you have yet to go out and buy any wrapping items yet.

 

 

PAPERCHASE

Paperchase are doing 3 for 2 on some of their Wrapping Paper, with these designs that i've picked out being £3.50 each. So depending on your budget this may be either a lot to spend on wrapping paper, it may be an okay amount or you may even think it is cheap. Nevertheless Paperchase have some great designs to choose from.

 

The Red Gift Wrap Accessory Box costs £5.00 and contains: Four 10 metre ribbons, one 5 metre decorative ribbon, 3 sheets of foil wrap, shredded foil, star confetti, 10 gift tags and 10 gift bows. So everything you would need to decorate your gifts, this accessory box also comes in Gold, Silver, Black.

 

They have these Green Tree Christmas Confettifor £1.75 which I think is a nice added touch to put in someones Christmas card or even decorate the dining table where you are going to have your Christmas lunch, although this could get messy.

 

 

MARKS AND SPENCER

 

 

I like shopping in Marks and Spencer around Christmas time, have no idea why but they always seem to do nice things in there this time of year. Their Wrapping Paper selection is very nice actually, I wish i'd got some from there this year. I particularly like the holographic snowflake one in the middle there. Their wrapping paper has been reduced down to £1.75 now so grab some now.

 

These 3 Red Ribbons to wrap your lovely gifts in, retail for £2.50 and would be a great addition to make your gifts look even more special and even more festive.

 

These fun 50 Peel Stick Present Labels can be used in a couple of ways. There are larger stickers which can be used as labels for presents, and there are also small stickers like you can see in the picture which can be used for decoration. Best part is they are now reduced to 75p!

 

 

HOBBYCRAFT

 

 

I am in love with this Bumper Gift Wrap Set it contains 4 rolls of wrapping paper, all in different patterns, 4 sets of ribbons, gift tags and twine. Everything that you need for all your wrapping. You can get this set in red and white too if you'd prefer that. Retailing at Hobbycraft for £5.00.

 

This very cute Reindeer film is great if you want to wrap something like homemade cookies or biscuits, cellophane can be very useful for this time of year. And I love the reindeer print on it, so very festive. This retails for £1.50.

 

These Silver Gift Bows are a great staple for Christmas wrapping, always have a bag of these handy in many colours. These particular ones are in silver and retail for £2.00 for 12 of them. These are also on 3 for 2 offer and come in different colours.

 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Wrapping!

 

Love

Amy

xxx

 

 

***DISCLAIMER***

All views/opinions are my own.



My Favourite Christmas Songs!

It’s that time of year again where you listen to nothing else but Christmas songs, as neither of the radios work in either of my family’s cars (I know how tragic haha) and I never listen to the radio at home, so I just spend my time listening to Christmas CD’s in the car if I have to go anywhere. Listening to normal music in the lead up to Christmas just feels wrong, and it helps to get me in the festive spirit, and they are always being played in the shops and pubs etc. So why not join in and make the most of these songs in December!

So continuing on from my top Christmas entertainment lists, here is my top 10 Christmas songs (although I must stress these are in no particular order, I love them all!).

 ***************************************************************************

Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea

I have the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special to blame for me loving this song, it’s swiftly become one of my top favourites since that episode aired in 2008. It’s very catchy and it makes me want to travel far to visit people at Christmas.

All I want for Christmas is you – Mariah Carey

If this isn’t in your top 10 then there’s something wrong, it’s such a classic! It doesn't need much, if any, justification for being in my top 10.

Do They Know it’s Christmas? – Band Aid

Do you sense a theme developing here? Lol. Yes another Gavin and Stacey number, Smithy singing this in the car with Gavin joining in on the phone is just so funny! I literally cannot picture anything else but that scene when I hear that song. A very good Christmas song, but also has some thoughtful meaning behind it. Be generous, good and kind this Christmas guys :)

Fairytale of New York – The Pogues and Kirsty McColl

I used to really dislike this song when I was younger, but I’ve grown to like it a lot as I’ve grown up. Yeah it’s a bit of a marmite song for some, you can’t understand what the guy is singing for the most part haha. But when it kicks in it’s a great tune! (Oh and if you're after a bit of laugh, look up Michael McIntyre and this song, it'll have you laughing a lot).

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard

My all time favourite Christmas song, ever! It was my favourite as a child, as a teenager and now as an adult. It’s too damn catchy to not love it to pieces. Such a feel good Christmas song, it makes me want to dance to it all around the house (actually I did do that last year haha). I really can’t say enough good things about it.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams

This is probably one of the shortest Christmas songs, which annoys me as it’s one of my real favourites. The whole jazz element and it's such an old school classic. The song title sums up Christmas, it really is the most wonderful time of year – you forget how amazing Christmas is until you’re back round to the festive time of year again. This song is just perfection.

Last Christmas – Wham

Hands up if you’re a secret Wham fan? *Holds hand up*, although it isn’t much of a secret for me haha. Can’t beat a bit of 80’s music in my opinion. So already being a Wham fan how can I not love this Christmas hit, I love the video of this too.

Walking in the Air – Aled Jones

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without this childhood classic, oh I picture the scenes in my head everytime I hear this song. Such a beautifully animated little story The Snowman is and this song just is beautiful, but also makes me sad as it reminds me of the poor snowman dying melting.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! – Dean Martin

Such a sweet little song, all these old classics make me feel so calm and warm and almost reminds me of classic movies back in the 40’s. And let’s face it who doesn’t want it to snow on Christmas Day? It’s a dream I think a lot of us have! I know for me it definitely is.

Merry Christmas Everybody – Slade

I was really struggling with the last one, it was a toss up between a few but I kept coming back to this song. It’s not my ultimate favourite, it used to be many years ago but now I find it’s a bit repetitive. Don’t get me wrong it is a real classic but I spend the whole song waiting for the best bit “It’s Christmas!!!” which is arguably the best bit in any Christmas song, ever! But ultimately I had to include this song, as its a childhood favourite and I couldn’t have a top 10 without it! Would just be wrong.

 

I have done a post on my favourite Christmas TV - here
And my favourite Christmas films - here

In the meantime tell me what you're favourite Christmas songs are?

Merry Christmas!

 

Love

Amy

xxx

***DISCLAIMER***

All views/opinions are my own.

 

Pixi Endless Silky Eyeliner - Straight on till Morning/Sage Gold

 

Pixi Endless Silky Eyeliner - Straight on till Morning - £11.00

 

These Pixi eyeliners created quite a buzz in the beauty world a couple of years ago, everyone was raving about how well they stayed put and how soft and creamy they were. I was totally sucked into the hype and got myself the eyeliner in black noir. But as that's just a standard black colour I thought i'd jazz things up and talk about the same eyeliner but in a different colour, this colour I have here is called Straight on till Morning.

 

I must admit that i've had this very eyeliner for quite a while and I have to say out of all of my eyeliners this particular shade is my favourite. This beautiful khaki green colour with gold shimmer in it, is just absolutely stunning, especially because I have greenish colour eyes and it just compliments them very well. I also got drawn in to this colour by the name.

 

This particular colour was released back when Pixi did a Disney themed collection, and of course the name Straight on till Morning comes from one of my favourite Disney films, Peter Pan. So when I saw the name, and saw the colour, and having had a Pixi eyeliner before and knew how great they are, it was an instant purchase.

 

 

The formula of these eyeliners is just insane. They are so very soft, easy to use on your upper lash line and works just as well in the waterline too. They do not budge at all! Even when I apply this on my waterline it really doesn't go anywhere, which is not the case for any other eyeliners i've tried. So a big thumbs up for Pixi for that one.

 

I do have some slight issues with this product though, I find that if I do apply any of the Pixi eyeliners in my waterline they make my eyes water a lot more than normal, all the other eyeliners i've tried in the waterline have never made my eyes water before. My mum and sister both have these eyeliners after I suggested they try them out and they've said the same thing, although it doesn't seem to bother my sister as much as it bothers myself and my mum. All I can think is they must have an ingredient in them that makes them stay in your waterline that long and it might irritate my eyes a bit.

 

My second gripe is that they are a pain to get to a nice point after you've sharpened them, as you may have noticed in the second photo. They are a very soft eyeliner, they aren't like a kohl liner so if you want to sharpen them you have to leave them in the fridge to harden a bit for at least an hour, although i've left them overnight most of the times. I just find it difficult when sharpening to get a nice pointed end again.

 

Also the price point, they are £11.00 which I think is a lot for an eyeliner, especially now considering Rimmel have brought out the Scandeleyes eyeliners which are effectively the same thing but a much cheaper price. I don't even wear eyeliner that much either, so sadly I won't be forking out the £11.00 for these again unless they are on offer.

 

Nevertheless, try these out for yourself because they are a very good eyeliner if you want longevity and a great colour pigmentation and colour range then Pixi is the place to go.

This shade 'Straight on till Morning' is now been released into the permenant line and is called Sage Gold if you want to get your hands on it.

 

Pixi make-up is avaliable in Boots, but I can't find a link for it right now so i'm a little confused about that. However it is avaliable at Pixi online:

Here

Any questions/comments please leave below.

 

Love

Amy

xxx

 

 

 

***DISCLAIMER***

All views/opinions are my own, product bought myself.

My Favourite Christmas TV!

Hi guys!

As it is the week before Christmas I thought i'd do a little countdown of my favourite Christmas TV, Music and Films this week, the links to the two other posts will be listed at the end of this post.

I absolutely love watching the TV, and Christmas TV is always one of my favourite parts of Christmas. The specials are always fun and it's a great excuse to get the family all sitting together and watching the same thing, which is a rariety in my house I tell you!

 

I'm going to show you some of my favourite things to watch over Christmas, and these are in no particular order.

Downton Abbey
For the last few years there has been a Downton Abbey Christmas Special and myself and my family always tune in, I just love this show. And it's normally a bumper 2 hour episode aswell, which makes it even better. I'll be tuning in again this year.

 

Soaps

Don't judge me, I love Eastenders and Coronation Street, and i'll occasionally tune in to Emmerdale. I love them at Christmas and always watch them too. I know they get a lot of stick and a lot of people don't like them anymore, but I still do.

 

The Royle Family

Sometimes there is a Royle Family Christmas Special on, last year there was but there isn't one on this year. They have done quite a few though so can always pick one to watch, such a great show!

 

 

The Vicar of Dibley

I just love, love, love the Vicar of Dibley at Christmas, this picture from the infamous 'The Christmas Lunch Incident' is my favourite to watch over Christmas, still hilarious to this day.

 

 

Doctor Who

My favourite TV event to look forward to on Christmas Day itself is the Doctor Who Christmas Special, it's not Christmas without Doctor Who in it now. Just brilliant!

 

Gavin and Stacey

For me the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special is a modern TV Christmas classic! I love it to bits and I have watched it every year since it came out in 2008, it's just perfect. They've only ever made one Christmas Special and they don't ever need to do another Christmas themed episode because this one is unbeatable.

 

Only Fools and Horses

This show reminds me of Christmas as a child, Only Fools and Horses was (and still is) a cultural phenomenon in this country and the Christmas Specials were always a highlight of the TV year for the whole country (the past viewing figures showed that). Sadly this show has long been off our screens but there are so many classic Christmas episodes for us to look back and enjoy!

 

The Snowman

The last but not least, its a childhood classic! Everyone has seen this at some point, it's beautiful, magically and so sad all at the same time. This is Christmas in a nutshell.

 

I have done a post on my favourite Christmas songs - here
And my favourite Christmas films - here

 

What are your favourite things to watch over the Christmas period?

 

Happy Christmas TV viewing!!

 

Love

Amy

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

***DISCLAIMER***

All views/opinions are my own.



Eczema - Water Continued!

Hi my lovelies

 

You may remember my blog post I did the other day on the importance of water when it comes to eczema, if you missed it then I will link it (Here). In that post I discussed how drinking water was important, but in this Part 2 I will cover all the other aspects of water and eczema. Remember I am not a doctor or any kind of skin specialist, i'm just speaking from 23 years of eczema experience and what i've learnt and found out along the way.

Glass of water by the window

 

I bet you've read that little header and thought what an earth is she talking about? Well don't worry I thought it mad too at first. I can't remember if someone told me about this or I read/heard it somewhere, but basically the idea is to keep a glass of water on your window sill and over time it will evaporate and create more moisture in the air. It's a very clever little trick that some people may not know about, so it's worth giving that a try. Since hearing this a few years ago I have done this and i'm not entirely sure if it actually works or does make any difference, but I like to think it does, especially when you've got the central heating on in the colder months, which just sucks all the moisture out of the room.

 

Sea Water

 

Anyone with eczema who has been in sea water is probably wincing at this right now, I know your pain guys! Getting salty sea water on your eczema is horrendous, it stings like there's no tomorrow! But it is good for you. No one is quite sure why it is though, i've looked it up and all I can see is that it just seems to keep the inflammation at bay a bit and is just a natural cleansing ingredient so it could be that. So its worth going through the stinging sensation for a while to eventually get good results with your eczema. No pain no gain as it were.

 

 

Swimming Pool Water

 

Going swimming in your local swimming pool may help or hinder your eczema. For me it doesn't really affect my eczema at all, but I have heard the chlorine could potentially dry out your skin so that is just something to take note of. Just remember to take your moisturiser with you if you do go swimming, I always forget.

 



Baths or showers?
 
This used to be one of the most annoying things about eczema when I was growing up. I could not take baths at all, no matter what I used my eczema hated it! So i've been a shower girl my whole life, and only now in the last few years has my eczema been slowly improving enough that I can take a bath and use bath products! Oh the heaven! So from my point of view I think, unless you have a bath with no products (so just basically warm water) or you use products like Oilatum (which I did use a lot as a child) then it is not worth the hastle, and have showers instead.
This leads me on to
 
Hot or Cold water?
 
I was thinking about this question and I don't think cold water affects my skin all that much, well let's face it you don't want to be using cold water on yourself or leaving your hands in cold water for too long do you? so i'm not sure about the cold side. But I know from experience that hot water can be bad for your eczema, I get bad flare ups if I use hot water on myself (hence the whole bath problem). So stick to warm water if I were you.
 
Washing eczema hands
 
This is such a frustrating eczema to have, if you have eczema on your hands it's a real pain ... literally. The more you wash your hands in either just warm water, or with soap too, it will dry out your hands and make your eczema worse! Oh it's a nightmare! So use good natural soap and use a good hand cream afterwards if you feel your eczema on your hands starting to becoming irritated.
 
 
So there's just some hints and ideas for you there guys, hope any of it was helpful.
As usual if you have any questions/comments please leave in the comments.
 
Love
Amy
xxx
 
 
 
 
 
***DISCLAIMER***
All views/opinions are my own, not a trained skin specialist
i'm just going by my own 23 years experience with eczema.

Sleek Blush by 3 Palette - Sugar

Sleek Blush by 3 Palette - Sugar - £9.99

 

Does anyone else remember when these Sleek Blush by 3 Palettes were first released, and everyone went crazy for them? I do. Everyone went especially mad for one of the palettes in the colour 'Lace'. It took me many months to track down that palette, and they didn't even stock it in my big local Superdrug, so I eventually ordered it online.

(By the way I will be doing a review of the Lace palette in the future).

 

When ordering the palette online, they had a discount code offer so I used that and also I took a big fancy to this other colour that hasn't been raved about quite as much, but I still think is pretty and so I got that too, and that very palette is the topic of this post.

 

It's the Blush by 3 Palette in the colour 'Sugar'.

This palette features much more darker blush colours, in my opinion it is the perfect autumn and winter blush palette. I challenge anybody to find a better blush palette for this time of year, it's just beautiful!

 

 

The colours remind me a lot of crisp autumn leaves, and i've worn it a lot these past couple of months already.

 

Now you may be looking at the palette now and thinking, whoa those are dark colours! And I completely get where you're coming from because that was my first impression of them too. These are incredibly pigmented blushes! As any beauty fan would know about Sleek blushers they are amongst the very best on the high street/drugstore when it comes to pigmentation and quality, so they do swatch very strongely (see swatches below) but when applied with a light hand they look stunning! I have very pale skin and i'm normally pretty heavy handed when it comes to blush, and I manage to apply these with great ease.

 

Sleek have named the three blushes after, that's right you've guessed it, different types of sugar! Oh Sleek you are clever bunnies :)

 

Turbinado is the matte peachy brownish sort of colour.

Muscovado is the shimmery dark brown, berry colour.

Demerara is the satin berry red colour.

 

I must be honest and say I don't wear Muscovado all that much, I don't know why because it's a beautiful shimmery colour. I just gravitate towards the other two colours more.

 

For the price of £9.99 you get amazing value for money, not only do you get three amazingly great pigmentated blush shades, but they come in a very handy compact palette which includes a full size mirror!

10 out of 10 Sleek!

 

Sleek really are my favourite highstreet/drugstore brand and I will continue to go back to them for their blushes in particular, time and time again.

 

This 'Sugar' Blush by 3 Palette is

avaliable from:

 

 Superdrug - £9.99

Here

 

Sleek Website - £9.99

Here

 

 

Any questions/comments please leave in the comments.

 

Love

Amy

xxx

 

 

 

***DISCLAIMER***

All views/opinions are my own, product bought myself.