Tuesday Ten: Last Minute NYE Outfit Inspiration...

Top - Diane von Furstenburg, heels, bracelets, leggings and clutch - all Saint Laurent

Trousers - Topshop, blouse - Proenzer Schouler, shoes - Gianvito Rossi

Dress - French Connection, heels and lipstick - Topshop, bag - Dolce & Gabbana

Top, skirt and shoes - all Topshop, clutch - Victoria Beckham

Dress - Topshop, shoes - Saint Laurent, bag - Alexander McQueen

Top and skirt - both Topshop, bag - Dolce & Gabbana, heels - Saint Laurent

Dress - Temperley London, earrings - The Gem Palace, heels - Saint Laurent, lipstick in Macaroon - Topshop

Skirt and shoes- Topshop, earrings - Chan Luu, camisole - Equipment, blazer - Helmut Lang

Skirt and clutch - both Topshop, heels - Alexander Wang, jumper - 3.1 Philip Lim

Dress - Alice and Olivia, shoes - Jimmy Choo, watch - Topshop

Have an amazing end to 2013 and begin 2014 with a bang! Happy New Year! Thank you all so much for reading my blog this year - I really appreciate it!!

A Year in the Life of a Fox...

1, 2 & 3 - The year started off with a bang with a holiday in February to Zermatt. A truly amazing experience I will never forget; all that untouched snow, skiing, the delicious food, the evening meal; everyday I woke up as if it were Christmas. We all enjoyed every second and so badly want to go back again!

4 & 5 - My birthday! Only a few months now until another one - my 16th!

6 & 7 - My sister, Jess and I went on a little adventure to Kensington Palace to see an exhibition which showcased Princess Diana's, Princess Margaret and the Queen's dresses in the 20th century. An amazing exhibit which finished off with us 'bumping' into Wills and Kate - the day after she gave birth to little George.

8, 9 & 10 - Holiday number two! We escaped from the British rain to the glorious sunshine in Zermatt, Switzerland. This was about our 15th time - can't you tell we love it there!

11 - I went on a school trip to Ypres, Belgium for the day. We visited all the WW1 memorials of British and German troops.

12 & 13 - One evening, Jess and I headed into London for the Carnaby Street Christmas Fair. After shopping 'til our hands ached, sipping coffee and cocktails until our heads could take no more and singing along to Christmas tunes 'til our tongues swelled up; we plonked ourselves down to hear Grazia's editor talk about the latest trends and fashion. Hearing fashion words of wisdom echo in our ears soon relaxed us.

14 - More Christmas shopping in London!

15, 16, 17 & 18 - Woo! I went to the Clothes Show Live up in Birmingham as part of another school trip;  a truly great day filled with fashion, beauty, fun and celebrities! There I met Andy, Jamie and Proudlock from Made In Chelsea which was wonderful! The fashion show was incredible as I expected and gave me lots of inspiration!

19 & 20- An early Christmas morning walk before lunch, wearing my new Barbour jacket, of course! We then set the table ready for lunch!

2013 has been yet, one of the best year's ever. It's been filled with so many adventures and events that I know I'm so lucky to be able to experience. I hope 2014 brings the same, no doubt it will be bigger and better. Unfortunately, this is my GCSE year so up right until about July time it will be hard core revision!

Hope you all have had a fantastic year and looking towards a fresh start! Bring on 2014!

What I Got for Christmas 2013!

Firstly, in no way I am bragging or boasting about the things I got for Christmas, it's just a good post and we all love snooping about what everyone got, don't we? Thankfully, Santa received my list and just about checked off everything. So, I am very pleased! Of course, it was no surprise that I got my Barbour Beadnell jacket (I was there when it was bought!) but there were a few surprises hidden away that I'm very thankful for.

Both of these lovely things I put on my list. The gorgeous Nuxe Travel Essentials Skincare Set, £12.40 contains the Micellar Cleansing Water, Nuxellence face moisturiser, Huile Prodigieuse hair, body and face oil, Reve de Miel hand and nail cream and lastly, a soap-free shower gel. All of which I have tried and are lovely, especially the cleansing water.

Then of course, the amazing Breakfast at Tiffany's. I love Audrey Hepburn, but I couldn't consider myself a fan when I had not yet watched the movie. That would be terrible. I have now officially fallen in love with Audrey and forever will be. A great classic film that's just plain fun to watch.

More AH. My sister got me this incredible book, called Audrey Style (to go with my other AH book collection) that tells the ins-and-outs of Audrey's life. From escaping the Nazis to Hollywood star to philanthropist. This book reveals her fashion secrets alive, with a great introduction from her dear friend, Hubert de Givenchy. A must-have for all Hepburn fans out there.

I also got the Sleek Neutrals Palette which is, as the name implies, a kit containing neutral eyeshadows. They're all amazingly wearable colours that I've already got great use out of; a good selection of matte and shimmery colours.

On to more eatable things. The Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel Drinking Chocolate is to.die.for. It makes maths revision in the evenings all the more enjoyable (well, as enjoyable as maths revision can be). Then, sweeties of course. Yum yum.

I've been in huge need of some more new makeup brushes; luckily Santa gave me the Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo Fibre Brushes. These are great for just about every makeup product. I especially like the larger of the three for blending in foundation, applying powder and blending bronzer. I like the small eyeshadow brush for blending in concealer and eyeshadow and the medium-sized one I love for blush, contouring, bronzer, highlighter - a great all round set for just £24.00!

A close-up of my Barbour jacket. Ahh.

Here's what my sister got too! Jess got lots of little things but I just selected a few to show you all. Firstly, the Naked 1 palette we both can't stop using! Our favourite colours are Sin, Buck, Sidecar, Half-Baked and Toasted. Again, we both love the Stila Colour Me Pretty cream blush kit. Personally, I love Rose (a dark, reddy-pink cream blush) but Jess' favourite colour is Peony (a fresh, peachy shade).

She also got the ThisWorks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, which I'm very jealous of. Alongside the pillow spray, I'm also very jealous of the Roses de Chloe perfume; it's like spring trapped in a little glass bottle.

Then, Jess also got the Rituals Laughing Buddha set which contains a foaming shower gel, a body oil, scrub and moisturiser. They all smell like oranges and french blossom -it's gorgeous and so awakening. Last but not least, Jess was given the 102 Things to Do in Autumn by a friend and trust me, I've had to peel her eyes away from the thing. Sounds like a great read; would love to read it someday myself.

What did you get for Christmas this year! Only two days left of 2013 - hasn't it gone quick! Only feels like two minutes ago we were all watching the Olympics in 2012. Where does all the time go?

P.S: A few New Years-related posts coming soon!

Photo Diary: Christmas Festivities...

Its Christmas time folks. I wait 364 days a year for this day and it's finally here. We started off with a bang for my sister's 19th birthday on 23rd by having lunch out in a nearby luxury hotel. To begin, we popped the Champers (with me, left with a non-alcoholic cocktail) and gazed indecisively at the menu. 

We had our starters and moved swiftly onto the mains; where we had a classic Christmas turkey with all the trimmings. It was delicious to say the least.

After scoffing down every last inch (and then loosening a few extra button holes), it was time for dessert. Which in my opinion, is the best part of every meal. Of course, we had to complete the festive theme and finish to with a good ol' Christmas pud, didn't we?

After even more button-popping and loosening of jeans; we relaxed, laughed and chuckled the night away while sipping on hot choccie and nibbling at mince pies.

Before we could blink it was Christmas morning. I dashed downstairs like my five-year-old-self only to find Santa had been very kind this year. You all saw my Christmas list here. It was no surprise that my Barbour jacket had arrived beneath the tree (it has been in my house since November!) but there were also a few goodies that I'll share in a later post.

For now, let's just take a moment to appreciate the art of a Barbour jacket. For thou is lost for words.

After taking a long pre-Christmas dinner walk around the local park, our tummies were soon relishing for food.

With the table presented with wine, holly-printed serviettes and crackers (which contained chocolate inside, instead of the usual party hat and useless, gimmicky toy). It was finally time for Christmas lunch.

After scoffing ourselves full, we watched the Queen's speech and lazily plonked our bottoms on the couch; ready for hard-core games and movie marathons.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope you all are having a lovely day, spent with loved ones!

Wrap Up Warm: My Favourite Knitted Cardigans...

The joys of cosy-ing up by the fire in a knitted jumper are one of my many winter pleasures. Here are my two most-worn; The sparkly one's an old fave (the link is a similar Jack Wills one) and the green cable knit is a newcomer. Either way I've worn the hell out of both of them. A good knitted cardigan/jumper/sweater is essential to any woman's wardrobe, especially during the winter months.

What is your most-worn item?

Winter Wardrobe Staple: The Grey Knit...

Beautifully chic and classic.

Tuesday Ten: Festive Makeup...

Oh don't we all just love a good Christmas makeup tutorial; beauty gurus alike telling us whether gold glittery eyes works wonders with a red lip or a berry stain. I for one, adore Christmas vlogs. There's just something about them that beats normal makeup tutorials hands down. Perhaps its the twinkling lights peering in the background or the fact that red and gold makes our eyes tingle. Well, since I'm in no shape or form to create a decent Christmas makeup tutorial myself (many failed attempts that boast neither creativity or in fact, the ability to talk to a camera, have somehow worked their way into the deletion bin), I thought I'd leave it to the experts. Thanks to them we count on looking fabulous this Christmas. Here I've rounded what I think are the best beauty videos around.Click below to read more.

Updated Hair Routine:

It's only been a few days that my hair routine has changed but already I'm sensing healthier locks. My hair is mid-length, dry and frizzy but thanks to these wonder products it's been quite the opposite. Lately I've been reaching for smoothing and conditioning products due to the damp and cold weather; so the L'Oreal EverRiche Nourishing Conditioner has been my go-to. It uses no sulphates so works on really making your hair healthy (as to just 'feeling' healthy). But first, to shampoo I love using John Freida's Full Repair Full Body shampoo. I've realised lately that I've got bad split ends (how dare they suddenly creep up on me like that) but this is great at plastering them back together again.

Here we are again with Lee Stafford's Argon Oil. It's no secret to you all that this is just one of my most trusty products. I've been using it for about a few years now and seriously feel it's under-hyped. Beauty bloggers rave about MoroccanOil and Ojon's argan oil but for me, this beats them hands down. I'm not a big Lee Stafford fan at all but the argan oil range is simply great.

Often my hair looks really flat and a bit lifeless. It boasts neither volume or 'bounce'; perhaps this is because of all the 'nourishing' products I use (and the fact I have no layers can sometimes drag the hair down too). To create Brigitte Bardot-esque hair (minus the backcombing) I use Tigi Small Talk. It's a great thickening product that ticks just about every point on the checklist. This is also one of my trusty companions. This works great when I crave a big booty bouffant (to put it ladylike). To create a voluminous 'blow-dry' I use the Kent Radial Boar Bristle Brush which kisses goodbye flyaways and any kinks.

What's your hair routine?

Clothes Show Live 2013 (+ the Cast of Made In Chelsea!)

On Monday I went to the annual Clothes Show Live in Birmingham as part of a school trip for GCSE and A-Level textiles. If you don't know what CSL is, it's basically a massive fashion and beauty event. I was really excited as I had never been before and heard that the fashion show was great (and that were lots of celebrities due to be there!). It consist of lots market stalls and stands of big fashion and beauty brands to up-and-coming ones too.

We decided to a bit of shopping and browsing around before our fashion show at 12:30. While we were walking over to the Alcatel Fashion Theatre, we bumped into some old pals; Jamie Laing from Made In Chelsea.

(Ignore the terrible quality of the picture...)

Then off we went to the fashion show where music blared in our ears and our mouths dropped at how beautiful the dresses were. We had really good seats and a good view of the catwalk. Apparently, CSL is the largest fashion show in Europe. The theme was 'A Weekend in the Country' which I was really excited about as I love British heritage style.

It was absolutely amazing; filled with gorgeous dresses, the cast of Britain's Next Top Model and a whole lot of Christmas sparkle. After the leaving the show with our eyes watering, we went on a little hike for some of the other MIC cast...

We saw Proudlock twice and Andy about four times (not that we were stalking them or anything!).

I'm wearing H&M coat, Zara shirt, Topshop jeans, Zara bag.

We had an amazing day and I really can't wait to back next year. I'd really recommend that you go. Brands like Clarins, Rimmel, Ciaté, Elemis, Candy Kittens, JAM, Serge de Nimes, Barry M and Models Own were all there. As well as Company, Elle and Cosmopolitan magazine too. Everything was discounted at really good prices and lots of freebies and giveaways were handed out too. It was truly an amazing day and I can't wait to go back there again.

Tuesday Ten: What Makes Up A Good Outfit?

Now, in no way am I to say what makes up a nice outfit; we all have different styles and different opinions but for this post I'll be focusing on what I look for in an outfit. We all get those horrible days where the 'throw it all together' look does not work; so here I am to help. Hopefully. Below are two of my favourite outfits of all time *round of applause for Pinterest* and around them I've noted what I like about them and why. Hope this helps!

Cyber Monday Haul...

Don't we all just love a good sale. When Cyber Monday creeped up on my screen I couldn't pass the opportunity of scooping for my most-wanted beauty product of the year. The REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, £30.00. It's an exfoliating mask formulated with four types of acid, that promises to leave your skin looking radiant, and dramatically improving your skin tone and texture. It's recommended as a fantastic treatment for congested, mature or acne-scarred skin (which I have), but is suitable for all skin types (except very sensitive) and promises to leave your skin glowing.

I really have been craving this product for a long while now, and whenever I hear Fleur or Kate rave about it, my tummy (or skin rather) rumbles for it even more. Personally, I think £30.00 is a tad on the expensive side for a skincare product, so I waited for CM to arrive; luckily ASOS had it for just £24.50 which I think is a great sale price. 

The packaging is clean and clinical as usual. The product itself is golden honey-like in both it's colour and texture. It spreads over the skin smoothly, and feels almost like an oil cleanser.

The instructions tell you to leave it for 10 minutes, and say that it might sting a little. Neither of me or my sister experienced a stinging or tingling, but the scent of the mask is absolutely heavenly. To me it smells like fresh orange blossom. The ingredient list boasts passionfruit, grape, pineapple and lemon extracts and I have a feeling that may have something to do with the scent. Either way - it's absolutely divine.

After 10 minutes, you remove the mask using the cloth supplied with the product. The mask left my skin feeling super smooth and simply glowing. I can honestly say I think this is the best face mask I've ever used. Not many face masks give such noticeable instant results, so I was highly impressed with this

What did you buy on Black Friday/Cyber Monday this year?