What's in my handbag?

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

I hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas and New Years Eve, and the jump back into working life wasn't too hard on you.

I'm kicking off 2013 with a 'What's in my handbag post'. Personally, I really enjoy reading these posts on other people's blogs so I thought I would allow you all a little snoop into my own.

My bag is a faux leather Emerald Green one from H&M. It's last season so unfortunately I can't link you, but ASOS do some very similiar alternatives. I picked it up because although I'm a fan of the satchel, I like a more slouchy bag which you can either fill to the brim when needed or just use for everyday necessities.

I got this Ted Baker purse for Christmas from my best friend and it's safe to say I have fallen in love with it. Anyone who knows me knows of my love affair with Ted Baker, so this purse was a very well thought of present.

My trusty umbrella was from Forever 21 and an absolute bargain for £4.99!

My gorgeous Ted Baker make-up bag was another Christmas present, this time from my boyfriend's sisters. It's the perfect size for holding everything I need on the go, and comes in a lovely pale patent pink with a big Black bow.

These headphones are a little on the large size but definitely worth carrying around, and keep me going at work all day!

I use this little Jack Wills travel card holder to keep my young persons rail card in, but I usually pop it inside my purse to keep it safe!

Another Christmas present and the latest addition to my handbag are these super cosy mitten gloves from Urban Outfitters. They have a really thick and supersoft lining and I can still use my iPhone as they don't have fingers! Perfect.

I've wanted a travel charger for my phone for AGES, so was delighted to pick this little one up in the Accessorize sale for £6! It was reduced from £20, and although not the prettiest thing in the world, it does the job and was completely worth the money.

My trusty little iPod nano, which 4 years on,  is still going strong :)

 This little Guerlain Insolence perfume stays in the inner pocket of my handbag. It was part of one of the Boots mini perfume sets last Christmastime, and the only one I still have left to use up.

Handbag essential!

If you've read my previous posts, you will know that Narciso Rodriguez 'For Her' is my all time favourite perfume. Luckily, my boyfriend bought me it inside a giftset for Christmas, which came with a handy handbag size eau de toilette.

I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into my handbag! What are your essentials?

xxx

Stocking Filler Guide

11 Sleeps 'till Christmas !

I thought I would put together a little stocking guide for those stuck in a rut of buying sweets and travel sized cosmetics to go into stockings.

Gifts Featured

For anyone with an iPhone and a love of Ted Baker, this iPhone case is a must! Crafted from a beautiful 'Eudora Sequin' print with a Gold Ted Baker plaque, this makes a brilliant stocking filler. Find it here.

'Fun' by Lush is essentially play-doh for the bath! A product of a thousand uses, Fun really lives up to it's name. After pinching off a small part of the bar, it can be used as bubble bath, a shampoo, lathered up as shower gel or even crumbled to hand-wash clothes with. These cute bars come in five different colours and are priced at only £5.00 each.

Candy Canes are the key to any great stocking. Whether you prefer the real Peppermint sweets or Philosophy's sweet lipgloss version, these are essential for any well stuffed stocking.

A Christmas manicure in a bottle! At only £13.00, Nails Inc Magnetic Polish in Shaftesbury creates beautiful Emerald Green nails which turn into a 'swirly' effect when the magnetic lid is hovered over the nail.

All I can say is, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Love Actually. Grab a copy here for only £3.00!

This fur headband is perfect for those freezing winter days, and would look great with the Barbour jacket featured in my Christmas Gift Guide in yesterday's post. The one I have chosen for this post is from Jack Wills, but I have also seen similar from ASOS and Debenhams.

For any Chocolate lovers... Charbonnel Et Walker are the cream of the crop. Beautifully packaged and absolutely delicious, you can buy these Dark Chocolate Rose and Violet truffles here.

I spent ages trying to track down the perfect 'H' initial necklace and along the way found so many which either look tacky or were horrendously expensive. Just as I was about to give up my search, I stumbled across this sterling Silver Jack Wills initial charm. Priced at £29.50 for the charm (you can pick up a silver necklace practically anywhere if you don't already have one), this is just the right size and looks great as an everyday staple necklace.

Lush's Snow Fairy Star Wand is a solid version of Lush's bestselling Snow Fairy shower gel, and at £4.99 makes a great stocking filler. Whirl this around a bath for a bubble paradise then re-use it again, again, and again.

That's all for my stocking filler guide, I hope you enjoyed reading it and it has possibly given you some good ideas or starting points?

I would love to know what is on your Christmas lists this year?

xxx

Christmas Gift Guide

With less than two weeks until Christmas remaining, you probably have most of your Christmas presents wrapped and under the tree by now. But in case you haven't, and are really struggling to find the perfect item for someone special, here's a little Christmas gift rundown for you..

Gifts featured

Philosophy bring out brilliant christmas scents every year, and their bubble bath is the best in the business. At £14.00 each, these a great gifts for friends or relatives and add a little festivity to bathtimes! Products featured are Eggnog and Candy Cane. (Psst. They're also currently on offer at £12.60 in Debehams!)

These Ted Baker Sawp heels are to die for! Made from leather with a pony hair finish, these purple platforms are perfect for the party season! 

Personally, I love darker lipstick in the winter as I find it brings some colour into my face and stops me looking so pale! In my gift guide I have chosen MAC Viva Glam lipstick in 'Viva Glam 1'. MAC lipsticks are amazing quality and reasonably affordable at £14.00.

Wouldn't everyone love to receive a Barbour jacket for Christmas? My favourites from their collection are the waxed jackets with the cordrouy collars. Have a peek here. These iconic jackets never go out of fashion, so buying one for a loved one at Christmastime is a great investment.

Nails Inc is in my opinion the best brand of nail polish on the market, and I think the deep teal shade Kensington is a great little stocking filler!

This hat by French Connection is most definitely going on my Christmas list! At only £39.99, this floppy versatile number comes in a great Mulberry shade and would look great with a trench coat and some boots. Available in either Black (currently on sale for £20.00) or Shiraz here.

Sticking with my love affair for Ted Baker, these cute Safire pumps have been updated for Christmastime, in new winter colours with glitter instead of patent bows. 

L'Occitane's hand cream set is priced at only £20.00, and I think it's funky packaging and trio of gorgeous smelling creams would make the ideal gift this christmas. Plus, it comes in a lovely rectangular box for those who do not like wrapping presents very much!

Narcisco Rodrigues 'For Her' has to be my all time favourite perfume. At £71.49 for 100ml, it definitely doesn't come cheap, but if you are willing to splurge a little for an extra special treat, this perfume is elegant and musky, and I'm yet to meet a girl who doesn't fall in love with it.

Yankee Candles make brilliant Christmas gifts, as they last for ages and produce the most amazing smells you can ever imagine. Unless you have time to burn the candle for around eight hours at a time, go for the medium size jar or the tumbler ones, to avoid hollowing the candle and wasting all of the wax. Yankee Candles are available here, and the one featured in this post is the gorgeously fresh 'Clean Cotton'.

Last but not least, we have this beautiful bandage dress by French Connection. This dress has become somewhat of a staple piece in the last year, and an almost replica to those of Herve Leger. At £115.00, this makes a perfect present for anyone wishing to make the most out of the party season.