Pam Scalfi♥ : affordable Christmas gifts

Monday, December 12, 2016

Cute, Useful & Unusual: Christmas Stocking Fillers Ideas

What do we want? Christmas! When do we want it? NOW! I know I know, you can roll your eyes at yet another stocking fillers post. In all fairness though, these aren't all beauty related so I definitely recommend you to keep reading as you may find yourself inspired!

What I Got For Christmas 2015

Can you tell I'm still in a festive mood? I don't want to let Christmas go just yet, so to drag it out as much as I possibly can before thinking about New Years which is literally a few days away, I thought I'd share what goodies had my name under the tree this year. Yes I know, Christmas isn't all about gifts but who can say no such things? I confess I did receive these a few days before and after Christmas which is why this post may be a little late but who's counting. I honestly love every single one so I couldn't not share them.

Make-Up

Gifts I bought for myself: on a recent trip to Kiko with Georgiana from beautynerd.co.uk, I picked up the Colour Sphere Eyeshadow 05 Spicy Chocolate Special FX which I am planning on wearing on New Year's Eve as it has just enough sparkles making it more than appropriate for party season. On the same day, we simply had to pop into MAC and I of course walked out with the gorgeous Soft & Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish Highlighter I've been dreaming of for as long as I can remember. Also from MAC, mum got me the famous Flat Out Fabulous Matte Lipstick which is admittedly a more spring/summery shade but I haven't been able to stop wearing it ever since. And last but most certainly not least, the one and only Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette; daddy really knows the way to my heart!

Body Care

Both The Night Before Christmas set from Lush and Sweet Snuggles Bathing Set were given to me by Georgiana and honestly, everything smells so wonderful and looks so pretty I just want to keep everything in its box. Am I the only one who takes forever to actually use any cute stuff?! Clearly, Lush was a popular choice for me this year, perhaps because I've been saying I want to try more of their goodies, as the Candy Mountain Bubble Bar and the Frozen Bath Bomb were also sitting under my tree. I can't wait to unwind and give these a try, they certainly smell delicious and I'm sure they will come perfectly in handy for a bit of me time.

Fashion

Hints to the boyfriend seriously work guys. I've been very nonchalantly (may I add) hinting to him that I would quite like a designer bag for my birthday, but instead he got me one for Christmas and I have fallen more in love with him and it! Michael Kors handbags are a dream and I couldn't have asked for a better one given it is not a design you see on the street every day, making it unique and thus ideal for me. And to jump head to toes - literally- onto the rose gold bandwagon, mum read my mind and got me these gorgeous Rose Gold Superga Shoes. They are so right for party season; I've been wanting these for a little while as I find them the easiest way to step up any outfit so expect to see them lots on the blog in the upcoming year.

What did you get for Christmas beauties? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading and have an awesome week ahead!

xoxo

The £10 Eyeshadow Palette You NEED in Your Collection: The Maybelline Blushed Nudes Palette

With Christmas just around the corner, chances are last minute Christmas posts are populating your feed right about now so to give you a chance to read something other than that, I thought I'd talk about my latest purchase, an eyeshadow palette. I know what you're thinking, another nude palette?! I totally hear you. My make-up stash contains nothing but nude shadows but there is just something about them because I'm always drawn to a new one despite having similar shades already (yes I have my eyes on the Gwen Stefani palette at the moment too). I resisted purchasing this for quite a few weeks but finally gave in when I swatched it and needless to say, I fell in love with the shades and thus decided it simply had to be mine.

The Blushed Nudes Palette holds a combination of 12 shades ranging from rosy pinks to mauve-toned taupes and is quite clearly very similar to the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, which happens to be my favourite palette of all time. You will agree with me that almost always the quality of the Nakeds is unbeatable, and with this palette the story isn't any different. However, even though the shadow quality doesn't live up to the Naked 3, amongst Maybelline's latest releases this palette wins it for me.

While this contains only one matte shadow (first row 5th shade from left to right), the mix of shimmery shades more than make up for it. The shadows don't contain names so it wouldn't be easy for me to describe what each shade looks like, but what I can say is that nearly all of them are smooth and buttery, and despite having a little fall-out, they apply and blend well and are pigmented given the drugstore nature. The shades also work well when layered yielding a nice colour-payoff and as with any other shadow, their pigmentation and durability can be prolonged with a quality eyeshadow primer. I have worn these for around 8 hours and the colours were very much still vibrant at the end of the day thanks to the UD eye primer. The only problematic shadow for me would be the last one, a deep plum which looks much more shimmery on the pan than when worn on the lids; a drawback I am willing to overlook given the £10 price tag.

Top Row (L to R)

Bottom Row (L to R)

Overall, I find this to be an incredibly affordable palette with a great mix of shadows not often seen in the drugstore world. They are ideal to add a bit of variety to everyday make-up looks as I don't want to be using my Naked 3 for work for example. This is a great alternative for that or if you are looking for a cheaper UD dupe. Additionally, it makes a great last minute Christmas stocking filler for the beauty lover in your life (or you!); available here for £9.99.

What do you think of these shades? Have anything similar in your collection already?

Let me know below!

Thanks for reading beauties and Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Soap & Glory It's The Whole She-Bang Christmas Gift Set

I recently spoke about Soap & Glory's Belle of the Ball gift set and after trying a handful of products for the first time ever (yes I've been living under a rock when it comes to S&G), I was ready for more. Enter the ultimate Christmas gift, the It's The Whole She-Bang Christmas Gift Set. I'm sure you've seen this on your Twitter or Instagram feed these past few days and rightfully so. These are selling like hot cakes and it is a no brainer really. Featuring 9 full-size (you read that right) yummy products for half the price they are actually worth, you'd be mad not to pick up one (or maybe even 2) of these sets at the nearest Boots store.

Even though winter is fast approaching and showering becomes an ever so difficult task, these little beauties make it all better. Clean On Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel (£6.50) is bound to leave your skin feeling smooth and silky and given the size of the bottle, this stuff will also last you months! And, The Scrub of Your Life Smoothing Body Scrub (£7), with a combination of fresh bergamot and mandarin, rose, jasmine, peach, strawberry, oakmoss, amber and woody notes scents (phew that's a lot of different smells), is thick, foamy and refreshing, aka the perfect scrubbing experience.

Moisturising comes next and with The Righteous Butter (£10), which contains skin softening shea butter and aloe vera to lock in moisture, you will be on your way to nourished, non-greasy, wonderfully looking skin in no time! For tanning lovers, The Righteous Butter Sunkissed Tint Body Lotion (£8) is a must. A bronze tinted butter gel for instant colour and skin conditioning sounds amazing and despite being horrifically scared of tanning, pale winter skin may not be on my horizon for much longer.

Suffering from dry skin? No problem! I've raved and raved about Hand Food Hand Cream (£5.50) , it really is a godsend to keep your hands moisturised for longer without that horrid greasy feeling. And of course your feet deserve a little TLC too (I know mine do); Heel Genius Foot Cream (£5.50) is soak-in foot mask that smooths and softens while you sleep, aka the right recipe to sort my ogre feet out.

Admittedly, I've never been one to use cleansing lotions but Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk (£8) claims to work with all skin types and is a 4 in 1 deep cleanser aiming to purify and clarify, energise, smooth, and melt away make-up; which does sound ideal for a make-up lover such as myself! Given the reviews, this dries out the skin a little, so moisturising afterwards is a must. Can't wait to give this a proper try and let you all know more.

No S&G gift set would be perfect without a few of S&G most well-known make-up bits. The Thick & Fast HD Mascara High Definition Collagen Coat (£10.50) does what it says on the tin, the result are lengthened and thick lashes with just enough drama. And last but most certainly not least, Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss (£9) in the shade Rose & Shine, is a lipgloss I can actually get on board with (I usually hate all lipglosses). This isn't sticky at all, and despite feeling a little tingly after application, my lips look fuller (not that I need that effect) and the colour is just right. Not a product I was looking forward to trying, but I am pleasantly surprised!

For only £30 (instead of the actual value £60), if you want to impress the women in your life, this is it! A gorgeous cosmetic case overflowing with 9 incredible toiletries is sure to be a hit this Christmas and the Soap & Glory new addict in me is already screaming to go get another, hello goodies...goodbye money.

Have you got yours yet? Will you? Let me know below!

Thanks for reading beauties and wishing us all a blessed week ahead!

xoxo

From Steal To Splurge: Christmas Gifts for Her at Every Budget

Stuck on what to get the important women in your life? I got you covered! No matter what your budget is, I am sure you will find something that will be of her liking. And if not, I hope this list (which I do confess, contains a LOT of the things I want for myself) gives you some kind of inspiration. Look out for my Secret Santa Gift Guide coming soon where I will include bargains of £10 and even under a fiver. Until then!