The Christmas Tag

Hi Ladies! As Christmas is fast approaching (one week today, eek!), I thought it was about time I brought some festivity to my blog and what better way to do that than with a Christmas Tag. I also wanted to share all of the lovely photos above that I've been snapping with my DSLR lately (apart from the last one) so what better excuse than a Christmas themed post ;). I've also seen some of my fave bloggers doing this tag including Hannah from Hannah's Bow, Melissa from  Pretty Little Obsessions and Chelsea from Through Chelsea's Eyes. Go and check out their blogs if you haven't already, they are definitely worth a read. So without further ado, lets get into the questions...

1. What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

To be honest, I love everything about Christmas. The way everyone is so much happier, the shopping, the lights, the smells, the food, the snow, the decorations - the list could go on. However, my ultimate favourite thing about Christmas is getting to spend lots of quality time with my nearest and dearest. Everyone is so much happier at Christmas time and I love nothing more than spending the day exchanging gifts, eating lots of food and getting merry. There's nothing better in my opinion. The only thing I would change if I could would be to have my family from Australia here with me as well - that would be the icing on the cake.

2. What is your favourite makeup look for the festive season?

My favourite makeup look for Christmas without a doubt is bold red lips. Obviously red is the ultimate Christmas colour so I feel I have to incorporate it into my makeup somehow. I think my mum started the 'red' tradition as every year she has to wear a read top or dress on Christmas day. I won't be wearing red clothing this year but I'll certainly be slicking on some red lipstick paired with a simple gold and brown eye.

3. Real or fake tree?

Now this might be a bit controversial but I actually prefer fake trees. I recently had this conversation with my mum and boyfriend and we came to the conclusion we prefer fake trees because they are more 'symmetrical' and visually pleasing (did I really just say that?). I guess what I mean is they aren't as awol as real trees. No needles everywhere and no stuggling to stick in in a huge tub surrounded by all sorts of crap to try and secure the beast in place. Artificial trees last years too which makes them cheaper in the long run and they are generally a nicer shape. I don't like that real trees have branches sticking out here there and everywhere. If you hadn't already guessed I have an obsession with symmetry (it's my OCD - I'm not mental I promise! haha). The only thing I do prefer about a real tree is the lovely Christmas smell.

4. Giving or receiving presents?

I don't want to sound like a complete soppy wet wipe but I 100% prefer giving presents. I mean of course I love receiving them too (who doesn't?) but as a self-confessed shopaholic, I love nothing more than going shopping and buying presents that I know people will love. It gives me so much joy to see someones face light up when they open a present I give them or to know it was something they really, really, really wanted. For example, I bought my little sister concert tickets last year and I just knew she would be over the moon with them so when I saw her little face light up, it made me exceptionally happy. As you can see from the photo of my Christmas presents (so far) above, I tend to go a bit mad with Christmas shopping and often wish I was a multi-millionaire so I could go even more crazy. I'm also an avid wrapper as well and everything has to be matching in terms of colour scheme, bows and tags. I blame you for this as well mother.

5. Do you open your presents in the morning or evening?

My sister and I usually get up at a ridiculously early time in the morning and then open our stockings (yes I still have a stocking), in my mum and step-dads bedroom. The room usually ends up looking a complete mess with wrapping paper thrown all over the floor but I guess that's all part of the fun. We then make our way dowstairs to the Living Room where all of our 'main' presents are left waiting for us, perfectly positioned by my lovely mum might I add. We then open them all at top speed and are usually done by around 8am (I'm not even joking). My step-dad then cooks up a huge fry-up and we sit infront of the TV watching new DVDs or in my case, having a pamper with all my new beauty products. We then get spruced up, have Christmas dinner, you know, all the usual things. All in all, it's an amazing day!

6. Handmade or bought Christmas cards?

I have to be honest, it would have to be bought. I don't think I'm quite artistic enough to be able to make beautiful looking homemade cards but I do think they are incredibly thoughtful and if I had the skills and time, I would definitely give it a go. I do however always pick nice cards for my close family. I know they often get thrown in the bin straight after Christmas but I always like to choose cards that have a thoughtful and relevent message on them. The card I've got my mum this year sums her up perfectly and the one I've bought my boyfriend is the most epic card of all time. I won't say too much as I know he reads my blog but lets just say it's not your standard card.

7. What is your favourite Christmas film?

I was thinking about this and I'm going to have to say Home Alone and Miracle of 34th Street as they are both amazing and classic Christmas films. They are the type of films that never get old and I could watch them over and over again. My family and I always watch a Christmas film on Christmas Eve to get us in the Christmas Spirit which is always lovely.

8. What is your favourite Christmas food?

Where do I begin? Turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets ... CHOCOLATE! Traditionally my family always start our Christmas dinner with a prawn cocktail (yum!), then Turkey with all the trimmings (yum!) and a humongous Pavlova for dessert (my fave!). Both of my Nanna's do ginormous and yummy buffets between Christmas and New Year too which are amazing and full of mouth watering treats, I'm looking forward to it already.

So there we have it, that's my Christmas pretty much summed up. As you can probably gather from my uber rambly answers to these questions, I'm just slightly enthusiastic at this time of the year. Like I said earlier though, it is my absolute favourite time of the year so it's fine to get a tad carried away.

Do you love Christmas as much as me? Have you done this tag?

Lots of Love,

Tag: Blogging Love

Image: We heart it (Edited by me) - Please feel free to use this image in your post!

Hey Beauties. I'm sorry for my lack of posts over the past few days but I have been so busy working for my dad that I just haven't had the time to post as often as I'd like. With that being said, I thought I would write a chatty, 'I heart blogging' sort of ramble. I have wanted to do this post for quite some time about why I love blogging and the reasons I would recommend it to anyone who might be too scared to take the plunge. I decided that to make things more interesting for myself and you lovely people reading, I would create a tag. Now I'm not sure if you can just go around creating tags but they have to come from somewhere right? I don't see why I can't so what the heck and here we have it. I have decided to create a tag where we all have to share the reasons we love blogging with the readers of our blog. I think it will be a great way to feel inspired about our own blogs and perhaps help someone out there who might be thinking of starting their own blog. I have kept things pretty straight forward and if you would like to do this on your own blog, all you need to do is give 5 reasons you love blogging, your blogging aim, your top blogging tip and the name of one blogger who has inspired you along the way. So without anymore unnecessary rambles from me, here are the reasons I love blog land so bloomin much. 

In no particular order -

1. Passion - Even as a little girl I always loved makeup. There was something about it that intrigued me, and I would secretly steal my mums when she wasn't looking. (I still do that now actually, whoops!) I absolutely love sharing my passion for beauty products with likeminded people and having somewhere I can ramble away to my hearts content. (Much like I'm doing now!)

2. Creativity - I absolutely love how my creative juices have been flowing since starting my blog. I know some people might think anyone with half a brain could write about beauty products but writing a blog isn't as easy as it looks. For starters you need to come up with the content for every post, take detailed pictures of the product you are discussing and write an informed review covering all aspects. For me, I feel very satisfied seeing the end result of a blog post I have been planning for a while. 

3. Other Bloggers - This has to be one of the main reasons I love blogging. I have seriously met some lovely girls through doing this blog and I couldn't be happier. It is so lovely to receive an email saying someone has commented on my latest post and reading the lovely feedback really inspires me to continue what I'm doing. I also love the social aspect of blogging wether it be commenting on each others posts or sending tweets back and forth. It really is such a lovely community of people and very rarely is anyone a b*tch! Maybe some large social networking sites known for their drama filled atmosphere should take note. ;)

4. Inspiration - This might be a funny one to include but one thing I love about blogging is how it opens my eyes to so many new and interesting products I wouldn't of heard of otherwise. Yes, it isn't great for my bank balance but I love hearing about the latest 'bloggers hype' such as the Revlon Lip Butters. Without blogging I wouldn't of discovered half of the amazing brands I use and love now.

5. My Own Space - In a way I see my blog as my space on the internet to write whatever the heck I want. Obviously nothing outrageous but if I want to discuss a lipstick I am currently loving or have a massive rant about something more serious, I can and I will. At the end of the day, its my blog therefore I decide the content that goes on it. I also really enjoy that feeling of not being judged because lets face it if someone doesn't like my blog, they don't need to read it. Its nice to know that the people who do read what I have to say are more than likely genuinely interested and not being judgemental. 

Blogging Aim - When I say blogging aim what I mean is a goal you have in mind for you and your blog. It can be anything you want from posting more frequently, interacting with more bloggers or even hitting a certain number of followers. For me personally my aim is to continue enjoying what I am doing, to continue interacting and getting to know other bloggers, to attend an event and eventually make a Youtube video. (Eek, that thought scares me)! However, its all part of the blogging experience and I can't wait to see whats around the corner for me and my little blog. I feel like its my baby sometimes that I'm watching grow and develop. Is that sad?! haha!

Blogging Tip - My top blogging tip would be INTERACTION! I can't emphasise enough how important it is to follow other blogs, leave comments to let them know you enjoyed their post and interact with fellow bloggers on Twitter. Not only does it help people see your blog but it is also a great way of establishing relationships with likeminded people who you might even become friends with. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than an blogger who doesn't appreciate their readers and it instantly puts me off reading their blog. So next time you sign in to Blogger go and make someones day by following them, commenting on their post and letting them know how much you love their blog. Chances are they will appreciate your comment and have a read of your blog.

Blogger who has inspired me - To be honest, although I love so many blogs, I didn't have to think long about who this person would be. The blogger who inspired me is Laura from Belles Boutique. I remember reading her blog for months before I started my own and it was the first insight I had into blog land. Before I read her blog, I had no clue all these amazing blogs were out there. I kept checking her blog most days and would admire her photography and writing style. I still love her blog to this day and she is a lovely girl too! She is always polite on Twitter and responds to tweets which I love to see bloggers do. So thank you very much Laura for opening my eyes to this wonderful blogging world!

So if you hadn't already guessed, I officially love blogging. I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I do and I couldn't be happier. 

With that being said, I really hope you can take part in this tag and share the blogging love. I would absolutely love to read your posts and the reasons you love blogging. You can write anything you like, no matter how stupid it may sound. All I ask you to do is link back to this post and leave a comment below with the link to your post so I can have a read.

Lots of Love,

'Get to Know Me' Tag

When I first started reading blogs, some of my favorite posts to read were the 'tag' posts. I love finding out random facts about other people and their lives. (I'm a bit of a nosy parker). I find it gives a blog a much more personal touch if I can relate to the writer and know a few things about them as a person. It's all good bashing out a load of product reviews but I find them a much more enjoyable read if I 'know' (hypothetically speaking) the person who is writing them. I've seen this 'Get to know me' post appear on my Dashboard a few times over the past few days so I thought I would give it a whirl myself. By the way, the LV bag in the picture above isn't mine. (sobs!) It was my friends and I had a picture taken with it because I want one so badly. How sad. Unfortunately I'm not made of money, so this picture will have to be suffice until I land myself a well-paid job or someone decides to be generous and buy me one. Anyone?

1. Are you named after anyone?

No, I'm not named after anyone but my mum chose the name 'Kayleigh' because of the song by Marillion. It's not the best song in the world but apparently she liked it. So, thanks for the name Marillion.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I know I cried the other day but I really can't remember why. It obviously wasn't anything serious. Probably just a 'in one of those moods' cry.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

I'm a bit of a complex character who people quite often misunderstand but yes, I think I would be a friend of myself because obviously we would have lots in common ;).

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

As you can probably see from my previous answer, yes. I love a good bit of sarcasm when it's used in a jokey manner. However, I HATE sarcasm used in a malicious way. The type where you are genuinely upset by something and someone speaks to you sarcastically like they really couldn't give a crap. No, just NO.

6. Will you ever Bungee Jump?

I think I'm too much of a wuss but potentially one day if I can man up. I do think it would be an amazing experience though and such an adrenalin rush.

7. What's your favorite cereal?

I don't eat cereal. I eat Muesli and natural yogurt if that counts?

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Obviously, their appearance. I'm a very inquisitive person and very self-critical so I tend to look at other peoples features and compare them to my own. Most of the time, I don't see other peoples flaws though, just my own. Annoying.

9. What is your eye colour?

Light Blue.

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings. I HATE scary movies. I'm such a wimp. Literally, hand over face the whole way through scary films. You can't beat a good rom-com in my opinion.

11. Favorite smells?

I think it would have to be anything 'fresh'. This may sound weird but I mean things like fresh bed sheets, fresh laundry, freshly cut grass, the fresh air. You catch my drift? I also love the smell of the Oust air freshener that smells of clean laundry. (Weirdo).

12. Summer or winter?

I guess I slightly prefer summer but this was a really tough choice for me as I love so many things about them both. I love the warm weather, the way everyone is more happy and the BBQs/beer gardens that summer brings but I also love the cold winter nights snuggled up under a duvet with a hot cup of tea. I also like the fact winter means Christmas which is my fave time of the year.

13. Computer or television?

Computer as I wouldn't be able to write a blog/read all of your lovely blogs if I didn't have one. Plus, you can watch most TV shows online these days anyway.

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home?

I've been to Australia 4 times. I don't think I could get much further away than that really. If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I'm going to Australia again next month. Exciting times.

15. Do you have any special talents?

Unfortunately not. I wish I had been blessed with a talent but no, I'm boring.

16. Where were you born?

The Lake District, Cumbria. (North England for anyone not from the UK).

17. What are your hobbies?

My main one is obviously blogging. I also love to shop and cook.

18. Do you have any pets?

No. I want a puppy though. So cute.

19. Favorite movie?

I love so many movies so I will name a few. A walk to Remember is probably my all time fave. If you haven't seen it, give it a watch. Cutest film ever and Mandy Moore has the most beautiful voice. I also love Tangled (Mandy Moore again), Taken, Source Code & She's the Man. Any kind of dance film like 'Honey' is also a winner in my books.

20. Do you have any siblings?

Yes, I have one sister and two brothers.


I hope you enjoyed this random little post and didn't find it too boring. Even though nobody tagged me to do this, I tag all of you. As I said, I'm nosy so I would love to read all of your answers. If you do decide to do this on your blog, let me know in the comments so I can have a goosey gander. I can't believe I am still awake at 1.27am reading blogs because I can't sleep. Stupid sleeping pattern. I think it's time for me to hit the hay. Zzzzz ....


Night Night,


Kayleigh..


xXx.