My Christmas Nail Polish Picks

Over the last few years I've done quite a few Christmas nails posts and as I just love doing my nails so much and changing things up, I had to do one this year too. First of all, I don't think the pictures below do any of these justice! The lighting was brilliant when I was setting everything up and then when I started taking photos, somehow the sun had started going down and they just didn't turn out how I wanted. Anyway, I hope this post is still okay and gets you feeling festive.

I'm going to start with Essie because it's just one of the best nail brands and I've loved them for quite a while now. Probably my all time favourite Essie colour and always my go to at Christmas is Toggle To The Top. It's a deep, dark red shade with glitter and it really does look gorgeous on. I think it's basically like red tinsel and glittery baubles in a nail polish, and even though glitter ones can be difficult remove sometimes, it's so worth it for a few days over the festive period. Another Essie polish I love is a little more subtle but it's Chinchilly. I absolutely love how this looks on. It's a chic grey shade and goes with literally everything. It's one of those colours that looks smart for work but also looks great with jewellery for a night out. If you're not into the darker reds and glitter, then this is the perfect winter colour for you. Now onto Nails Inc, and I am in love with their colour Chelsea Embankment which is a gold glitter. Is there a more festive colour than this? I don't think so. It just screams Christmas to me and I can't wait to wear this on my nails on Christmas Day. What I love about this is how easy it is to apply, how fast it is to dry and for a glitter, also how easy it comes off.

Another Nails Inc polish I'm going to be wearing for the first time this Christmas is the shade Victoria. This is a deep purple/red colour and it's probably the darkest out of all of these but I love a dark nail. If you're not into black nails but do love to go for a deeper shade during winter, then this is the one for you. It's got a lovely red tint that comes through and it's so glossy. One of the last ones I had to mention, even though I've spoken about it a few times on my blog before is Rock n Roll by Rimmel. This is just a classic red, and who doesn't love that? I have a few of these Salon Pro polishes from Rimmel and they are so easy to use. The brush coats nails so well and it really doesn't take long to give yourself gorgeous festive nails. Lastly, I have Black Cherries by Rimmel. This is a 60 second super shine polish so it's another one that doesn't take long to dry, and it's just such a favourite of mine. It's a little bit of a lighter purple than the Nails Inc one but still looks so pretty and personally I think it looks lovely with a bit of silver glitter polish on the tips or on an accent nail.

I love painting my nails all year round really, I don't think I ever have bare nails, but there's just something about putting colours like this on at this time of year. So many festive colours to get you in the mood for Christmas Day!

Do you like colours like this for Christmas? What's your favourite winter nail colour?

Similar Posts - 2 New Nails Inc Favourites // Essie Polishes You Have To Try

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Sebamed Skincare Review*

I've featured so many skincare products on my blog recently but none like what I'm talking about today. I was recently sent a few products to try out from the brand Sebamed who I'm still pretty new to. I first saw them on Instagram and then one day I had a message asking if I'd like to try a few bits out, erm yes please?! I'd heard very good things about them so I couldn't wait to put a few products to the test.

Sebamed was established in 1957 by the German dermatologist Dr. Heinz Maurer and since then they have just grown and grown, to the level where they are now recommended by dermatologists and skin experts worldwide. They sell a range of products but their most popular is the Classic Cleansing bar which, like all of their items, has been developed with the same pH level as healthy skin (pH5.5) which makes them suitable for the whole family to enjoy. I was sent three things to try, so let me tell you what I think of them all!

First of all I was sent the Hand and Nail Balm which is a bit of an essential in the colder months of the year for me. This moisturiser provides you with silky, soft skin and it really helps with supporting the regeneration of rough and chapped skin, something lots of people suffer with in winter. The first thing that impressed me about this was how fast it absorbed into my skin. One thing I don't like usually about hand creams is that they can feel a bit sticky and you're left wanting to go and wash your hands again but that didn't happen with this. A little bit went a long way and it soaked in really well leaving my hands feeling really smooth and soft. Something else with this is that the pH 5.5. formular protects your nails against drying. I haven't noticed a massive difference yet with this though my nails have definitely grown a little and haven't been breaking nearly as much so maybe it has made more of a change than I initially realised. Finally, I also really liked the scent of this. I was expecting it to almost be a bit clinical but it really wasn't. It was just like any other hand cream really and was very pleasant to use.

Next I was sent the Feminine Intimate Wash which I won't lie, I had never thought of buying before! When I first saw this I wasn't sure how I felt about talking about it on my blog, but really why not? There's no harm in talking about these things and it should definitely be open up to discussion. This Intimate Wash pH 3.8 is supposed to support the ecological balance of the natural micro-flora for protection against any infections down there and any odour formation. It stabilises the moisture and content of the skin leaving everything feel soft and soothed, and I have to say, it was really nice to use actually! I'd heard before that shower gels aren't really good for your pH down below but I'd not given it too much thought but now I'll definitely be reaching for this again and again. It's definitely made me reconsider what I should and shouldn't be using.

Lastly, I was sent the Lip Defense Balm, which I think is another product well worth having ready for winter! Dry and chapped lips don't feel too good so anything that can help with that is brilliant and this is the ideal product. Using intensive treatment properties of the plant extracts jojoba and rice bran, this lip balm, protects lips from dehydration aswell as alleviating any irritation and inflammation with vitamin E. It's a great balm to use all year round as it protects your lips in winter from the cold and also in summer against sun burn as it is SPF 30. I loved using this and I know it's going to be a handbag staple! It left my lips feeling so soft and moisturised and for £2.99 I don't think it's bad at all!

Overall, I'm so impressed with Sebamed and I'll definitely be continuing on with all of these products. As I've already mentioned, the hand cream and lip balm are brilliant to protect against the cold weather, and even better, they are both perfect to just pop in your handbag. These products have definitely made me think more about the sorts of skincare products I use and why it's important to go for those that encourage a healthy pH level. If you want to find out anymore info yourself or you'd like to try some of these, you can find lots on their website. 

Have you tried anything from Sebamed before? What do you think to these products?

*Products sent for the purpose of this review. I only work with brands relevant to me and my blog

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November TV, Film & Music Favourites

I did a favourites post dedicated to just TV and film in September and I wanted to do it for November too because I've been watching so many different shows recently that I just had to mention them in a seperate post. I wanted to keep my usual monthly favourites more about beauty and other products this month so I thought I'd do this again but also I've added in a bit of music too because again, there has been so much I've been loving over the last few weeks.

Celebrity Hunted - I was hooked with this program throughout October and the start of November. It was one of those shows I looked forward to every week and I'm kind of sad it's over now. It was about a few different celebrities going on the run from an elite team of hunters and basically whoever made it to day 14 without being caught, won. It was for Stand Up To Cancer so it was for a very good cause and was just really entertaining. The celebrities involved were Steph and Dom from Gogglebox, Anneka Rice, Jay and Siva from The Wanted, and finally Spencer and Jamie from Made in Chelsea. I think my favourites were Spencer and Jamie, I don't think you'd expect them to do as well as they did and they seem like genuinely nice people!

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Fresh Meat - This is one of those shows I've been meaning to watch for such a long time and it's one a lot of people I know have watched, but it wasn't until November I finally decided to give it a go. It's a british comedy starring Jack Whitehall and it follows a group of students who are just starting university and are living in the same house. It's such a simple concept and not necessarily loads happens throughout but it's so funny and I'm really sad it's ended now! I got through all four series so quickly and I'm already feeling like I need to re-watch it!

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The Apprentice - I don't know why but I look forward to a new series of The Apprentice every single year. I've enjoyed watching it for such a long time and this year is no exception. I actually think I'm enjoying it more this year because all the candidates are pretty rubbish, I really can't tell who's going to win it because they all just seem all over the place. At the moment I think my favourite is Elizabeth, so many people seem to have it in for her just because she's different but I personally find her funny and think she does know what she's talking about.

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Stranger Things 2 - I can't believe this is the first time I'm mentioning Stranger Things on my blog! Obviously most people have heard of it now so I won't even try and explain it, but to be honest it wasn't until series 2, that's just come out, that I understood why it's so popular. The first series for me was just boring and I couldn't really get into it until the end, whereas series 2 had me sort of hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed every episode and got that feeling at the end of each one that I needed to watch more. I put off watching the first series for such a long time because it was so hyped up but I'm glad I've now seen both and I'm looking forward to more!

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Paddington 2 - Ahhhh how could I do this post and not mention Paddington 2? You're all probably getting sick of me talking about this film but sorry I'm not gonna stop. As I've already said in a previous post I adored the first Paddington film, because BEARS and LONDON. I really, really hoped the second film would live up to it, and it did, I just knew it would. I saw a few tweets about how good it was before I went to see it so I went in positive, and left feeling so happy. The story is just as good as the first film, if not better, and it's hilarious but emotional, and just everything you want in a film. It's so heartwarming and one I already can't wait to have on DVD to watch whenever I like. If you haven't seen this yet, I really recommend you do, beware the end might make you cry though.

Murder On The Orient Express - We went to see this the week before Paddington 2, two very different films! and I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can see from the poster below what it's about, but it's such a brilliant story. I had absolutely no idea who did it for such a long time, every person seemed suspicious, but the twist at the end is incredible! I was genuinely so shocked and I did not expect the ending we got. I'm so glad we went to see it.

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Taylor Swift (Call It What You Want) - I'm not a massive Taylor Swift fan anymore, does anyone else still prefer her older music like me?! but there is one song I heard recently which I think is from her new album called, Call It What You Want, and I'm kind of obsessed with it. I'm not sure why, I just love it and I find myself replaying it all the time!

Niall Horan (All I Ask) - Out of all of the One Direction boys, I didn't think it would be Nialls solo music I'd be enjoying the most, for some reason. He's brought out a brilliant album though and the song All I Ask is getting played constantly on my phone at the moment. I just love it and I'm really tempted to get the full album!

Some months I really struggle when it comes to monthly favourites but in November there were just so many things I wanted to include, I didn't really have a choice but to split it into two! I really can't believe we're now in December. Where has this year gone?!

Have you seen any of the TV shows or films I mentioned?

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November Favourites - Benefit, Galaxy & IKEA

This month I've decided to do what I did in September and post a normal monthly favourites and also one that's just all about tv and films. I had so much I wanted to feature this month but just couldn't possibly put it all in one post so I hope you enjoy reading them both, the second will be up on Monday!

Bloomtown Roll On Infused Oils - I have been loving Bloomtown Botanicals over the last few weeks. I mentioned their Christmas baubles in my womens gift guide, and inside the one I had was a Infused Oil in the scent Rose Garden. A few days before I got that I'd actually ordered one of these anyway as they did an offer where you got it for free and just paid postage, which I couldn't turn down really. The one I picked was The Grove, and luckily they're both very different scents. The Rose Garden one is a musk rose and white florals scent and The Grove is a blood orange and pink grapefruit scent. I love them both equally and as they are roll on they are so handy and are great to just be popped in your bag.

Rituals Shower Gel - A good few weeks ago now Rituals had a good deal on like the one I mentioned above, where you could get their Yogi Flow Shower Gel for free and just pay postage, which is amazing as this alone is usually £8.50 but I got it for about £2.99. Can you tell I like a bargain? I'd been wanting to try something from Rituals for so long so I had to get it. What I love about this is that it comes out as a gel but then when you rub it in it becomes a foam. A little bit goes a long way and it's a really decent sized bottle so I think it will last me quite a while. It has a gorgeous scent of Indian Rose and Sweet Almond Oil so it leaves me feeling fresh for hours and it's also really moisturising.

IKEA Peach Range - Ahhh peach scents are my favourite. I just love the sweet smell of peach candles so I got very lucky when I was last in IKEA. I actually thought I'd mentioned all of this stuff in a previous post but I can't find it anywhere so I must not have. Anyway, when I last went I went a bit peach mad as everything was so cheap, I couldn't help myself. I got a big candle which was £1.75, tealights which were £1.35 and also some pot pourri to replace the one we already had which was £1. IKEA is just the best. They had so many other scents to choose from too so if you're in need of some new candles, definitely keep them in mind.

Birchbox Brush Cleaner - I received my November Birchbox a few weeks ago now and so far I'm loving every single thing that was included. One thing I was really happy to see in the box was this Brush Cleaner, and it's just made life a little bit easier. I love cleaning my brushes anyway I just don't do it enough but now I have this, it's much quicker to do. All I have to do with this is add a little bit of soap, swirl the wet brush over it and rinse, and then leave to dry. It's really easy to hold aswell and I'm just so glad I finally have one of these!

Festive Galaxy Cake Bars - Cake bars are one of my favourite things anyway but festive edition?! even better. I've enjoyed the normal Galaxy Caramel ones for ages anyway but this year they've brought out a salted caramel version. There's not a huge difference but I really liked them anyway and I'll definitely be getting more while they're available. The cake, the chocolate and the caramel are just the best together. I think these were about £1 from Asda so definitely try and get some this year!

November has been one of my favourite months for a few years now and this one has been so nice. It started out a little stressful but now I'm feeling better than ever and I'm so ready for Christmas now!

Are you prepared for Christmas yet?

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