I spent an embarrassing amount of time searching my local B & M last year to pick up one of these Essence candles. I was am obsessed with Bath and Body Works and wanted to own one of these dupes SO BADLY, but they'd all sold out by time I got anywhere near a store. So, this is my friendly little PSA: GO AND GET THESE NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT.
Zoella has been releasing a wave of new products recently, and whilst it's been seen with a backlash of anger at pricing and the sheer volume of ranges, this is one range that I really wanted to try. I agree that some of the products were overpriced, and I'm not sure why her marketing team thought it was a good idea to release summer beauty, general lifestyle, Christmas lifestyle and Christmas beauty in a matter of weeks (SURELY sales would have been better if it was spread out?!), but I'm totally feeling the hype for this range. This is the one I was genuinely excited for, and I've picked out some fab products which don't bear a shocking price tag.
I've been SO excited to share this post with you, and these pictures have got me feeling all the Autumn vibes. For real though, the cosy vibes mug is something that I already know I'm going to use all the time. I'm ready to fill it with hot chocolate and hundreds of mini marshmallows on chilly evenings. It's such a nice size, and the design of it feels so me. Cosy vibes are what I'm allll about, and I've got a feeling you might see this used as a blog prop all over my Insta over the next few months.
Candles are kinda my thing (says me and every other blogger ever). I've got a cute little collection of them and I find lighting a couple around my office the best thing for getting a happy, productive vibe going. Zoella's Festive Cookie candle smells incredible. It reminds me a little of Yankee Candle's Snowflake cookie (which I LOVE), but just less sweet. If you've got any of the last lifestyle collection candles from Zoe, then this one is a bit bigger than them, and has a bit of a stronger scent. I'm kinda in love with the packaging - there's nothing cuter than tiny little gingerbread men - and the gold design makes it feel fairly luxe.
On the candles front I HAD to get the cosy Christmas sock and candle set. And this time it wasn't particularly for the candle. These socks are one of my favourite things I own. Seriously. They're the same ones that she released last year and I've honestly never put anything more comfy and cosy on my feet. So much so that I genuinely save them for days when my mental health is low as a kind of 'treat yourself' moment. They're soft and warm and just trump any other bed socks I've ever tried. FYI, the candle in this set is fab too. It smells like a Christmas tree and the design reminds me of a Christmas jumper, which is hella cute.
My final pick was my only stationery one. I've got so many notebooks and cute stationery bits at the moment that I didn't need anything else from this part of the range. But, now that I've got my new job I wanted a desk calendar, and the 'This is Your Year' Zoella one has motivational quotes for each month. It's exactly the kind of calendar I had in mind, and I love the fact that you can pop each card in and out easily, so it's perfect for using as an Insta prop at the start of the month!
I've filmed a first look at/unboxing of my picks from the range over on my Youtube if you fancy a watch:
Christmas is SO close now, eeeeek! I CANNOT WAIT. So, in between writing my food shopping list for early tomorrow morning (yes, I am braving the supermarket on Christmas Eve) and wrapping the final few presents, I thought I'd share my five favourite candle scents of this time of year with you.
1.) Next's Festive Spice. Omg, I need this bottled for me. This has been my go-to throughout December, and I'm surprised at how much is left considering how often I've used it!
2.) Christmas pillar candle from Tiger (or Flying Tiger online). This is the white candle with small hearts and one Christmas tree on it. It is scent-free but I love the simplistic design.
3.) Wooden tealight holder. This is the only thing I've found in Homesense this Christmas that I loved enough to buy. This has been sat on my desk for the past few weeks and is the perfect insta-worthy festive accessory.
4.) Yankee Candle's Snowflake Cookie candle. I bought this for my sister last year and fell totally in LOVE. At the moment I just have a mini version of the candle, but I'm hoping that Santa leaves a full-sized one under my tree ...
5.) Yankee Candle's Candy Cane Lane candle. I bought this in the Christmas sales a couple of years ago and it's one of my favourite scents all year round. It smells sugary, vanilla-y and full of a touch of peppermint, just like your first lick of a candy cane.
I am allll about that home ware at the moment. Me and my boyfriend are moving into our very first flat together that isn't some grimy student hovel in the next month and I am busy collecting little things to make our house a home. So, when Zoella announced that she was bringing a new lifestyle range out I was a little ecstatic, I have to admit.
I've never been a big fan of her beauty ranges, and actually have been so unexcited about them that I have yet to purchase anything. This is really because I've already got so many brands that I've fallen in love with, and so many that I prefer. BUT, this new release was full of totally dreamy products. I love anything that makes a home feel more cosy, and I cannot wait to fill my new flat with plenty of beautiful cushions and candles to make it smell like home. So, you can imagine my joy when I saw that Zoella had a lifestyle range with all of these things in as well as a few more goodies.
The Zoella lifestyle range isn't all homeware (and I feel like I should probably mention this in case you haven't had a peek at the products yet). There are a few bits and bobs of stationary as well as a backpack that you can pick up. We all know I'm a bit of a stationary addict, and as I knew that the Summer #BoxofLame (which you will be seeing on the blog soon *squeals*) was coming out a couple of days after this order, I decided to resist on the stationary front.
So, I should probably talk about things that I actually bought rather than nattering about things I haven't, right? Whoops. Obviously I can't resist a good candle, so I was always going to pick up at least one. As I was ordering online I couldn't get a good whiff of any of the candles before purchasing them, so I had to trust my gut and make some bold decisions. Ultimately it was quite easy as Seaside Stroll and Daisy Picking come in a duo set for £18, which is cheaper than buying any of the candles separately at £10 each.
Daisy Picking is my favourite of the three candles I picked up. It smells like walking into a garden full of flowers just as they're starting to bloom, with pollen in the air and a fresh breeze blowing past. Although I love Autumn, I do think it's nice to have a reminder that things start to grow again and this is what Daisy Picking does for me. Both Seaside Stroll and Daisy Picking have fairly subtle scents, and I haven't quite put my finger on what Seaside Stroll smells like yet! However I think it might have some vanilla in it.
Next I picked up another set. This was the lazy days candle and sock gift set and costs £16. This technically means you are paying £6 for a pair of socks, which is a little pricey, BUT, they are honestly the snuggliest, softest socks I have ever worn. And I have a whole section of my underwear drawer dedicated to soft bed socks, so there is some really tough competition there! Popping these on after a bath has been heavenly, and I felt like I was letting go of my first born when I put them in the wash.
And finally we all know I can't resist a good nap (seriously, at what age does napping on a daily basis become truly unacceptable?!), and so this Dream Maker cushion was number one on my wishlist. This was the only thing that I was 100% sure I wanted from the range, and it comes in at £12, which for a well made cushion is pretty reasonable in my opinion. I absolutely love the colour scheme of it, and it is so soft! As you can see from my pictures, even the cat is a fan of it.
If you fancy watching my first reactions to all of the products, here's a video I filmed for you all!
1.) You get to bring out all those dark hued lipsticks again. Mac's Sin? Yes please. Add a cheeky bit of glitter to it? Why not.
2.) Cosying up in a blanket/duvet nest surrounded by layers of warmth is the best feeling.
3.) That first frosty morning when you head out and everything feels fresh and you can see your breath.
4.) Getting all your Autumn-y scented candles out. I picked up this Cedarwood and Myrrh one in Primark for £1(!) and it smells delightfully musky.
5.) All the #fwis shots that you can take holding a steaming coffee in your gloved hands with ankle boots on show.
6.) Dressing gowns and slippers being totally acceptable parts of any wardrobe.
7.) The build up to Christmas. I've been wearing my Santa socks since July - need I say more about my excitement?
8.) Fashion trends. Chunky knit sweaters, cute bobble hats and bold ankle boots are what I live for.
9.) Waking up on a Saturday morning and realising that your toasty bed is ten degrees warmer than the room around it. And then being able to stay in it for as long as you want.
10.) Watching the leaves change hue, and taking all the gorgeous Insta-worthy pictures of your local area as nature gets ready for winter.
I am SUCH a homebody. Seriously, give me a nice relaxing bubble bath, a glass of wine and a cheeky bit of netflix over going clubbing any day of the week. So, when I moved out of my (more than slightly) yucky student home, I felt so relieved. Finally, a place of my own that wouldn't be covered in grime and/or other people's belongings. I've spoken about my home living situation loads recently, but for those of you who haven't been keeping up, me and my partner are currently living in an outhouse owned by his parents until we've both got stable incomes and have saved enough to get all set up in our own place.
Whilst I'm incredibly grateful for this, living in what is effectively one room with an en-suite did put a bit of a dampener on my spirits. Suddenly our house bunny had to go outside (which is fine, he's done it before), I wasn't preparing meals for myself in my own home, and my office was also my bedroom/Ty's chill out zone/the laundry room/the hamster space etc etc.
So, when Ocean Loans* came along and offered to sponsor a post all about revamping your living area for summer, you can bet I jumped at the opportunity. Money has been super tight recently, and I was incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to redecorate our living space a little. Although I headed over to the main house to take these pictures, everything is now set up in our teensy abode, and I honestly wake up with a little grin on my face each morning.
Me and Ty set off in search of the perfect goodies to make our house feel a little bit more like a home, and as summer came in we also wanted to keep things bright and colourful. After several disappointing shops, we finally entered NEXT Home, and were surrounded by a myriad of beautiful things. It took all the self-restraint I had not to buy half the shop. In the end, we went for the painted hare cushion and the hare canvas. These totally grabbed our attention as we strolled in. Not only are they super cute, but the little pop of green on them just seems to make everything a little brighter. My grandma actually got me a birthday card this year with this little guy on it too, so the wall art has the added bonus of reminding me of her.
After that I was on the hunt for some candles and flowers. I'm not going to lie, candles are basically my thang. You can rest assured that at Christmas time I'm going to be all over the Yankee Candle website, because obviously Christmas isn't Christmas if it doesn't smell like Christmas, am I right?! And flowers basically light up a room. I've only recently learnt the power of having flowers in the house, but they just boost my mood so much, and have the added bonus of being the perfect easy blog prop.
In case you were wondering what they are, the flowers I've got in the pictures are yellow chrysanthemums. They're honestly so cheap and last ages, plus are lovely and bright for summer! I picked the two pillar candles up from Sainsbury's and they were such a bargain at £4 each. Even my coconut-hating partner has enjoyed the subtle sweet scent of these, and again they just add that nice little dash of colour to the room.
So there it is, my summer living area revamp! I'm extra excited now about bringing all of these goodies to our flat when we (eventually) get all that jazz sorted and then hopefully I can sort out some Youtube videos showing you all how we've decorated our flat!
It's time to remind myself that February wasn't just a cold-ass month from hell, but actually contained some awesome things in it that I'm genuinely extremely grateful for. So, to remind myself that life isn't all that bad (as I sit surrounded by a mountain of tissues, wallowing in the throes of the dreaded Winter Cold), I've made a list of my beauty and lifestyle favourites of the month. Here goes:
This is pretty much every blogger's go-to winter berry lipstick, and after I picked it up earlier this month I fell in love with it and the sass it brought to my face. Here's the post on my mini MAC haul that this was part of.
This has been a great transitional piece for me as we go in to Spring. It's my every day lipstick that I use when I don't need a bold lip, but want a dash of colour on.
My sister got me this for Christmas and I've fallen a little in love. The packaging is really pretty and the scent is quite a musky one, so it's great for evenings out.
Pure Colour New Look Hairbrush
This is basically a cheap, brilliant tangle teaser. I've never owned one before and have actually loved it so much I said goodbye to my traditional hairbrush and it said hello to the landfill (it was broken, I hate waste).
LUSH rarely fail to impress me, but this one was a real winner. I use it before I go to bed to remove my makeup and moisturise my skin without making it too greasy.
These smell SO GOOD. I don't remember the last time I bought tealights, so now these have a permanent space around my bath when I want to sink in for a soak. It's been so cold that that's been pretty often this month (who wants to shower when it's frosty outside?!).
I have a little confession to make ... up until this Winter I haven't owned a scarf in the last four years. So, I was pretty picky when it came down to this one. It's so classy and casual, plus it doubles up as a blanket shawl for when I get really chilly!
That Lame Company Art Prints
If you've come anywhere near my twitter or Instagram recently you'll realise that I am OBSESSED with these and all of the products the guys make. I've dedicated a whole post to them here.
I hope you enjoyed! What have you been loving this month?
