Lush Goodies | Snow Fairy

It's the last weekend before Christmas and although I'm pretty much working the entire holiday (yep that's right I only get to enjoy Christmas day off) I am still feeling ever so festive and am not going to let a lot of shifts at work dampen my Christmas mood. One thing that I love about Christmas is all the gift sets and limited edition products that come out. As much as it's nice to receive these gifts it's always a nice treat to be able to treat yourself to one too - Hello Boots 3 for 2 right? One gift set that seams to work its way into my beauty stash each year is the Lush Snow Fairy gift box. My little sister always treats me to one every year for my birthday and its become a little tradition for us to swap lush goodies around this time of year as an extra little treat. The Snow Fairy gift set is a fabulous goodie box which is sure to get you in the festive mood and prep and prime you for any festive parties that you may have lined up. I thought I would get this post up for you all so you can take a sneak peek as to whats contained in this pretty pink lush box.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel 

Snow Fairy has to be one of those Christmas products that lush fans and beauty bloggers need to have during this time of year, as it's a limited edition Christmas product of theirs so many people seam to stock up and I can see why. I am amongst those fans who adore the Snow Fairy Range and this shower gel in particular is a favourite of mine. The Snow Fairy scent is just deliciously sweet and has that yummy candy smell to it, if it wasn't a soap then I would say it smells good enough to eat. I love showering with this stuff and the pretty pink glitter which is packed inside the shower gel makes using this a treat. Not only is it a pink product, smells like candy and is full of glitter (three things which I love) this shower gel always leaves my skin feeling silky soft and smooth and lathers up nicely, which makes it the perfect shower gel... I love it!

Angels Delight Soap

The perfect soap to go with snow Fairy is the Lush Angels Delight Soap, and I love how Lush have molded the soap into this pretty star shape for the Snow Fairy gift Box. Angels Delight soap has a pretty similar smell to snow fairy, expect to my nose it has a few more fruity scents to it along side that sweetie smell. Once again this soap is packed with finely milled glitter which gives it a sparkly look and up close you can see little snowflakes that are in the soap which makes this the perfect Christmas pamper treat. I love using this whilst I'm in the bath, not only does it make my skin feel lush but it also smells up the whole bathroom with its sweet fruity scent.

Shimmy Shimmy Glitter Bar

Out of all three products contained in this gift box, the Lush Shimmy Shimmy Glitter Bar has to be my favourite! Why? Because its packed with so much glitter that your skin looks like you are part of the Edward Cullen family. This is the perfect product for this time of year as it just makes your skin glow and the sparkle left on your skin from using this, is perfect for those festive days and party nights. Although this is packed with glitter, its not too over the top and your not going to leave your house looking like a disco ball, but there is enough glitter there which adds a nice lift to the skin and makes it look like you've made that extra effort for Christmas. I love the way that the glitter reflects in certain lights, and although I say the glitter is not too over the top, there is enough there that people will take notice and be dying to know how you've got your skin looking so sparkly. The Shimmy Shimmy Glitter Bar is one of Lush's massage bars, so its packed with cocoa and shea butter, so the bar starts to melt pretty quickly as soon as it's in your fingers. This bar not only gives your skin a sparkle glow, but it feels so nourishing and hydrating on your skin making it the perfect product to use this time of year - Goodbye dry skin! I really recommend that everyone who loves glitter to get treat yourself to this product so you can sparkle on Christmas day, trust me you wont regret it.

So that's everything contained in my Snow Fairy gift box, I think the treats are fabulous and would make the perfect little stocking filler for anyone who loves beauty products, Lush or Snow Fairy. I would love to know what your favourite products from Lush are and if your as much of a Snow Fairy fan as I am.

Lots of Love

Top Winter Berry Shades

Swatches L'Oreal 'Juliet' | Rimmel '107' | L'Oreal 'Feeric Fuchsia' | Revlon 'Raspberry Pie' | Revlon 'Cherries In The Snow'

Being the lipstick lover that I am, I really love how this time of year allows us to be a little more daring with our choices of lipstick. Nothing says hello Christmas like a beautiful deep berry red shade on the lips. When I think of Christmas I always imagine bright pillar box red shades as a first choice of lipstick, but having said this I feel that I don't really suit red lipstick. I find fuchsia's and dark berry shades much more flattering on for me and as a result I've built up quite the collection of these gorgeous berry toned lipsticks. Today I thought I would give you ladies a little run down of my top five winter berry shades and why I love to wear these shades this time of year...

L'Oreal Glam Shine Stain Splash | Juliet

I've been a big fan of these lip stains from L'Oreal, not only do they look glossy on but once these are on your lips they simply wont budge and you have a gorgeous colour payout on your lips for the entire day. Sometimes dark shades on your lips can be a little messy and there is always the fear of a red lipstick smudging whilst on. However this gloss/stain will not budge at all. Juliet is a bright berry red with a hint of orange running though it; Once on it appears quite a dark red on your lips and its that perfect Christmas red. I wore this non stop when I picked it up at the beginning of the year and if you would like to see what it looks like on the lips you can find my review and swatches here.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss | 107

How could I have a top five winter berry lip shades and not include the infamous Kate Moss lipstick in the shade 107. I have to say this lipstick is a fairly new edition in my collection, I was really late on the bandwagon in picking one up - But it didn't take me long at all to fall head over heels in love with this lippie. This lipstick has to be one of the darkest that I own, admittedly it does look a little too dark for me in its casing but once on the shade looks gorgeous and is really wearable. I would describe this shade of red as a bit of a vampy one and it does have that really dark red wine look to it - which is perfect for this time of year. I love wearing in this in the daytime with minimal makeup elsewhere and slightly rosy cheeks from the cold and the wind - it really makes this lipstick the vocal point of your makeup look.

L'Oreal Color Riche | Feeric Fuchsia 

I picked this lipstick up as a freebie as one of L'Oreal promotions last year and I appologise in advance as I do believe that this shade is limited edition - But I love it so much that I couldn't ignore it. For me, this is the perfect Christmas Shade, not only is it a deep dark berry toned fuchsia shade, but it's also packed with tiny finely milled pink glitter. The glitter is so small that you can feel it at all on your lips, and in fairness you can't really see it once its on your lips - However the glitter finish does make this lipstick look quite glossy on, even though the lipstick does have more of a matte finish. I love how creamy and smooth this lipstick feels on and it always makes me feel so festive when wearing it.

Revlon Lip Butter | Raspberry Pie

In the summer I feel that I reach for the Revlon lip butters ever such a lot and during the winter months they take a bit of a backseat - all apart from Raspberry Pie. Raspberry Pie is a rich and pigmented raspberry colour that just looks divine once applied. It has that super glossy, high shine finish and creamy texture that we're all familiar with when it comes to these Lipbutter's. I am still a huge fan of this product and its finish,  especially with how glossy it looks once on. I'll always find myself reaching for this if my lips are feeling a little bit dry because of the cold, but I'm still wanting to wear a dark berry red on my lips too.

Revlon | Cherries In The Snow

If you love bright pinks all year round, but are looking for a shade that is just that little bit darker for winter then 'Cherries In The Snow' is the perfect addition to your lipstick collection. This lipstick is a really bold and vibrant fuchsia pink that has a gorgeous creamy finish to it. I love wearing this on those days where I'm really wanting to brighten my look up. If your not a fan of the pillar box red lipstick shade then this is a perfect alternative. Even the name of this lipstick suggests that it's the perfect wintery shade - I love it.

So there we have it, my top five Winter berry shades. I am a little bit addicted to wearing these lip colours at the moment and am always looking for more shades to add to my collection. I would love to know what your perfect go to winter lip is, be sure to let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love

Nails Inc Bling It On Glitterball Kit

Nails Inc Bling It On Glitterball Kit* £16.20 

A lot of you ladies will know that I have a bit of a weakness when it comes to nail polish. I also think Christmas is the perfect time to add a bit more sparkle and shine into your life and there is no easier way to do this than by adding heap loads of glitter to your nails. Last month I was one of the lucky bloggers chosen to take part in the Blogger Secret Santa Challenge from John Lewis and one of the amazing gifts I received was this Nails Inc Bling It On Glitterball kits. When it comes to nail polish and getting creative Nails Inc have always been on the mark, providing us with loads of cute little sets to really jazz up our nails and for the longest of time I have been meaning to try one out. Last night whilst watching the XFactor I was really in the mood for doing my nails and decided to give this Bling It On kit ago - After all it is Christmas. 

Fist of let me start with the nail polish. Nails Inc have always been well known for their polishes and their amazing quality. The kit comes with one of Nails Inc famous polishes 'Baker Street' which is this striking cobalt blue shade. This shade worn on it own is a stand out polish and will give you beautiful nails, I can imagine I will be reaching for this shade a lot when summer next comes around. The polish application is so smooth and I was amazed that I only needed to apply one coat in order to reach perfect match to that in the bottle.

The kit also comes with a bottle filled to the top with chunky rainbow glitter, a dusting brush (which is also covered in sparkle) and a little tray where you can dispense any excess glitter back into the pot.

Achieving sparkly chunky glitter nails was so easy and took no time at all. You simply had to paint each nail at a time, pour over the glitter, wait for the polish to dry and dust any excess glitter off with the dusting brush. The whole application really is fault proof and the end result is very glittery nails. Some of you may be thinking 'why just not use a regular glitter polish?' and I must admit that I did have this initial reaction. However it's fair to say I've tried and tested my fair share of glitter polishes and some of them can take layer upon layer to build up just to get the effect that this nail kit gives you. The drying time is super fast so there is no need to worry about smudging your nails at all. All I would recommended is that you use a topcoat to finish off your look and seal in the glitter. I decided to wait a while to pop a topcoat on and I found that bits of glitter where coming away from my nails far too quickly, so applying one is definitely a good idea.

Overall I love the look of my nails and this is the perfect kit for party season. If you want to achieve sparkly nails with no fuss and don't have time or the patience to wait for nail polish to dry I really recommend giving this ago. You can find this kit and many others from Nails Inc here on the John Lewis website.

Have you tried any of the Nails Inc kits? And are you a fan of glitter nails? I would love to know your thoughts.

Lots of Love

Birthday Haul

So last weekend I turned another year older and celebrated my 26th birthday ('m an old beauty blogger I know)and despite being another year older - Trust me when I say I've reached the point where I no longer want to get any older, I think I had one of the best birthdays ever! It was so lovely spending the entire weekend with close friends and family and the whole weekend was filled with special moments that will stay with me forever.

On the Saturday I had my best mates over for a night out on the town and a huge girly sleepover. It was one of those nights where I didn't get any sleep whatsoever and I may of had too many cocktails, so much so that come 7 o'Clock Sunday morning I was still stumbling around my room in fits of laughter - Oh dear Dannie! 

My actual birthday was on the Sunday and my closest family came together for a big family meal to celebrate. We went out to one of the best Chinese restaurants in our town and spent about 3 hours there just eating, chilling and all catching up. It was just so lovely spending the day with all the people that I love the most and having a good ole giggle around the table. Once the meal had finished it was decided that everyone would give me my birthday presents. I'm one of these girls that want's so much, but realistically I don't need anything so come Christmas and Birthday time I always tell my family not to goo too crazy and just get me anything they think I will like. Well this year I was in total shock and surprise as I really received the best birthday goodies any girl could ever ask for. I couldn't believe how lucky I was when I opened a rather large box and found that everyone had chipped in to get me my dream camera! Everyone know's how blogging has been a huge part of my life over the last two years and I had been going on about saving up for a decent camera for the longest of time. I couldn't believe the amount of planning that was put into get my camera, and the thoughtfulness behind this gift was so overwhelming. I am now the proud owner of a Nikon D5200 and it's become my little baby... I love it. I think it's going to take me a good while to master this camera completely but already I've been snapping away and I can't wait to improve the overall quality of my blog though my pictures. This really is the best birthday present ever. 

Along side my camera I also got a few other gifts including this delicate and gorgeous heart Pandora charm. My sister also treated me to a Snow Fairy Gift Set from Lush as you can only get it this time of year and it's always been a little birthday present tradition. My best friend also got me another gift which had me squealing with excitement and it is another one of those presents that I will remember forever. I've probably mentioned this before on my blog somewhere, but for those of you who don't know penguins are one of my favourite animals. I just think penguins are so funny and are so adorable and I could actually sit and talk about them for a good few hours... With that being said I would love to introduce to you all Ricky...

Yes Ricky is my adopted penguin for the year, he currently lives at London Zoo and I have a ticket to go and see him sometime next year. I can't believe that I have my very own pet penguin which I think is pretty amazing. Just how adorable is Ricky with his blonde hair - I love him.

Overall I had the best birthday ever and I feel like the luckiest girl ever. I know my family and friends read my blog so I just want to say a huge thank you all for making my day so special. I also want to thank all my followers and to those of you who wished me a Happy Birthday over social media platforms too, I love you all to bits.

Lots of Love

M&Co Blogger Challenge

Lace Top Skater Dress M&CO | Baroque Fur Coat M&CO | Diamante Clutch Bag Topshop | Necklace Topshop | Shoes New Look  

I absolutely love the festive season and as so many of you already know, it has to be one of my favourite times of the year. Not only is Christmas just around the corner, but this time of year is party season, which can only mean one thing - A girl has to look her very best and dress to impress for all those party invitations that come her way! Being a blogger, I often find myself spending a lot of my free time on the internet, and I love browsing websites for different pieces of clothing and putting cute little outfits together - So when I was contacted M&Co asking if I would like to participate in their blogger challenge, which is to put together a party outfit for the festive season, I couldn't wait to give it ago.

To be honest M&Co is a brand that I've not really heard of, but after taking a visit to their site I found some lovely bits (especially some great key pieces of clothing which will be fabulous for work) and the partywear section of the website was definitely my favourite. This time of year really means we can go all out with our partywear and go glitzy and as sparkly as we please. The more sparkle the better right? After having a good browse though the M&Co website I feel in love with this gorgeous deep purple skater dress with lace detailing. As a lot of you know I am a big fan of the skater dress as it's just so flattering on all body shapes and always looks so feminine and girly on. I love the deep purple shade of this dress, the colour reminds of of a quality street purple and the colour is perfect for this time of year, and a great alternative to wearing red.

I thought that this dress would look stunning with some cream platform heels and matching gold accessories just to break up some of the darker colours which are on the dress. Whilst looking though the M&Co website I also spotted this rich purple baroque fur coat which matches the dress beautifully. With it being so cold outside, you definitely need something to keep you warm whilst making your way from home to the party. This coat looks so snug and cosy but has a touch of glamour at the same time - It's perfect.

Being a big beauty girl, no outfit would be complete without those final touches and I thought Mac's Rebel Lipstick would be the perfect shade to wear with this outfit and just tie everything altogether nicely. I also thought I'd go with matching nails, and this Models Own Velvet Goth polish in the shade Amethyst matches the purple in the dress perfectly.

This outfit would be perfect for any Christmas party or Christmas work do and would definitely get some heads turning. I love it. I am a little bit late with my entry for this blogger competition as the closing date is tomorrow, but if you have some time and would like to take part be sure to find out how you can enter here.

I would love to know your thoughts on this outfit ladies and what your planning on wearing to those festive parties!

Lots of Love

Festive Christmas Knits

Pink and White Prancing Reindeer Fairisle Christmas Jumper New Look | Snow Flake Patterned Jumper George Asda | Wonderland Kintted Jumper Truffle Shuffle | Knitted Crystal Reindeer Jumper Topshop | Hudson and Rose Burgundy & White Aztec Hoodie New Look | Glitter Penguin Blue Knit Snowflake Christmas Jumper Designer Desirables | Black Christmas Reindeer Pattern Jumper River Island 

Hey gorgeous girls, how are you all doing? First of all I just want to say sorry I've been a little bit missing in action over the last week or so. As much as I love December its a bit of a crazy and hectic month for me, not only do I celebrate my birthday and a few other family members birthdays, but anyone who works in retail will know its the busiest time of the year - I'm currently on a 7 days in a row stint at work right now which majorly sucks, but busyness aside I'm still pretty excited and am still feeling festive. Over the last few weeks I have been really getting into the spirit of Christmas and have been lusting over so many Christmas jumpers. If a Christmas jumper doesn't get you in the mood for the festive season then I don't know what will. 

In the picture above are the best Christmas jumpers that I've seen around and if I'm completely honest I would love to be able to have all of them and wear one each day in the countdown to Christmas - How amazing would that be! I would love to know if you've treated yourself to a Christmas jumper this year, and what your thoughts are on my top festive knits?

Lots of Love

Bangs Style Feature

The other week I was so excited to be contacted by Bang Style asking if I wanted to be featured on their amazing blog. For those of you who don't know, Bang Style run a app which is pretty similar to Instagram in the sense that you can upload pictures - but the catch is that its pictures that are all hair related. Bang Style is the perfect app to go to if your after some hairstyle inspiration. I've just set up an account, so if you would like to add me you can find me @sunshinesprkle

Bang Style also run a pretty amazing blog which is filled with inspiring hairstyles and other beauty bits so I was thrilled to be invited over for a featured interview. If you ladies have the time I would love for you to take a look at the interview and of course check out the Bang Style Blog as its amazing and I know a lot of you love looking after your hair just as much as I do. If you would like to have a look at the article I was featured in you can navigate there by simply clicking the link below.

Beauty Blogging With Danielle

Thank you for taking the time to have a look ladies and I would love to know your thoughts.

Lots of Love

November Favourites

Hi gorgeous girls and a big fat hello to DECEMBER!! I can't believe the magical and most wonderful month of the year is finally here. I absolutely love December and have been counting down the days for it to start all the way back at the beginning of November. Not only does December mean that the countdown to Christmas officially starts, but its also the month of my Birthday which always adds that extra bit of excitement.  I cannot wait to get the Christmas decorations up this week and turn my place into a little grotto. I also really need to make a start on Christmas shopping which is another must for this week. Anyway excitement aside I thought seeing as it's the first of December today I would share with you all what I was loving last month...

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream and Smoothie Star Body Buttercream

When it comes to body butters, Soap & Glory are always a brand that I turn too. I've always been a religious user of their infamous Righteous Body Butter as its just heavenly. However as Boots where having 3 for 2 offer across all Soap & Glory products I thought I would branch out and give the Sugar Crush and Smoothie Star body butters ago. I've always heard so many amazing things about these two products around the bloggosphere , especially the Sugar Crush range.  I have to say it has been pretty much love at first smell with these two products as they are just incredible. Not only do they both smell good enough to eat, they do such a brilliant job and nourishing and hydrating my skin and they are an absolute pleasure to use. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss - Shade 107

When it comes to Winter makeup, a red lip is always a favourite for me. For the longest of time I had been meaning to pick up the blogger favourite, Kate Moss Lipstick from Rimmel in the shade 107. This lipstick is such a gorgeous deep vampy red and is perfect for this time of year. I have to be honest I was a little bit concerned with this lipstick having a matte finish as I much prefer a buttery finish, but this shade just looks so gorgeous on. It's really long lasting and for such a deep red its extremely wearable, I love it and I can see this being my go too lipstick in December too.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes

If you've been reading my blog for sometime you will know that the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes has to be one of my holy grail mascaras, its perfect for adding length to your lashes and most importantly adding lots of volume. I did a whole post dedicated to this mascara a little while ago if you would like to check it out. With this mascara I feel no need to add false lashes at all as it gives a great false lash effect, if your looking to open up your eyes and make your lashes flutter I really recommend that you ladies give this one ago.

No7 Perfectly Bronzed Dual Bronzer

I wont go into too much detail as I did a whole review on the No7 Perfectly Bronzed Dual Bronzer a few weeks ago which you can find here. I think No7 products often get overlooked in the beauty world, but there are some hidden little gems in the No7 range and this bronzer is one of them. I find it's the perfect bronzer for contouring and gives your skin that gorgeous summer glow. 

St Moriz Self Tanning Lotion - Dark

Ah, you ladies will know that when it comes to fake tanning, I'm a little addicted.  I'm one of these girls who just feels so much better when my skin is a gorgeous shade of bronze. When it comes to tanning products I've tried my fair share but I always find myself going back to the cheap and cheerful St Moriz. I much prefer the lotion formula to the mousse as I find that it's a lot less drying on your skin. I love the colour payout of the St Moriz tan as its a really deep tan colour but looks ever so natural at the same time. I've been using it quite a lot over November and its definitely one of the best self tanners that I've tried.

So that's everything for my monthly favourites, I would love to know what you've been loving this month ladies - Be sure to let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love