My Favourite Blogs of 2013

As we are nearing the end of 2013 I wanted to share some of my favourites with you.  At the beginning of next year I will cover my favourite bath, beauty and make-up products but this post is dedicated to some of my favourite blogs of 2013.  This post has been extremely hard to write because there are SO many blogs I love to read but I couldn't include them all or this post would be far too long.  So instead, I have picked a small selection but plan to do more favourite posts like this next year to share more of the blogs I love with my readers.

Anyway, enough rambling from me and onto the wonderful blogs I want to share with you...

Ellie's Ramblings - Ellie is a lovely girl I met at a Benefit launch event this year and we've kept in touch ever since. Before meeting Ellie, I was a fan of her blog and read it regularly.  You can read it here.

Couture Girl - This blog is run by the lovely Kayleigh and is full of gorgeous product reviews and outfit posts. You can check out this blog here.

Lipgloss and Lashes - This blog is run by Becky who is another blogger I met at the Benefit launch event and have met up with many more times since then. Her blog is full of wonderful reviews and her layout is adorable.  You can read Becky's blog here.

BeautyqueenUK - This wonderful blog is run by Rachel who is another friend of mine. It is full of reviews ranging from beauty products, fashion and accessories and you can view it here.

Miss Makeup Magpie - Gemma is the owner of this blog and is one I read nearly every day. The pictures are gorgeous! Read it here.

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 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

What I Got For Christmas 2013

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas.  Mine was a bit hit and miss as whilst it was lovely relaxing at home with my family, unfortunately my Nan was poorly so missed out on Christmas Day due to being in bed instead. It was a real shame and felt odd opening presents, eating our yummy dinner and playing games while she was upstairs but it was still a nice day and we tried to make the most of it. On Boxing Day I also spent some time with my boyfriends family so had a second Christmas Day filled with just as much food and fun.

Before delving into the presents I was lucky enough to receive for Christmas this year I just want to add a small disclaimer because I know some people dislike these kind of posts.  I'd just like to say the aim of this post isn't to brag about the gifts I have received.  I am grateful for every single one I have and am writing this post as I have received a number of requests to do it.  I also thought it may be useful to some of you who are hunting for things in the sales as you may like some of the treats featured here.

Let's get started...

Body and Beauty Products - Being a beauty blogger, you can imagine I got some beauty treats for Christmas.  The first being the stunning Limited Edition eye shadow palette from Chanel.  As soon as I saw this palette in the shops and swatched it I loved it.  The shadows are creamy soft, the perfect colours for a neutral girl like me and and the packaging is adorable (keep an eye out for a review post in the near future).  I also got the popular Soap and Glory Yule Monty kit which is full of loads of goodies as well as the French Connection Body Trio Collection kit and some Lush goodies.  All of these gifts were from my Boyfriend. Also, knowing I'm a big Soap and Glory fan, one of my best friends, Gemma bought me this amazing Soap and Glory kit.  It includes eyeshadows, mascara and eye liner which I can't wait to try! They look gorgeous!

Candles - I've been wanting to own a Jo Malone candle for a long time and am forever looking at them online or smelling them in stores.  I'd never bought one because of their high price tag and I felt I couldn't really justify spending that much on a candle for myself, especially when there is a limited time you can use it as obviously when the wax is burnt away that's it.  My mum and dad, however, kindly bought me the most popular scent, Pomegranet which is absolutely gorgeous! I can't stop smelling it and looking at the stunning packaging.. it has pride of place on my dressing table.  I also received my first ever three wick candle for Christmas from my boyfriends Grandma which has the scent of Wild Raspberry.. it smells so good!

As well as a candle, my parents bought me a candle making craft kit so I can make my own.  I have actually already given this a sneaky try and it's so fun and easy to do! I can imagine I will get quite addicted to making my own candles!

Hair Styling Tools - Both my mum and dad and boyfriends brothers bought me hair styling tools from Babyliss this year.  They know how much I love my curls so I got recently released Curl Secret Styler (it is so unique!) and Waving Wand.  Both are amazing!

Tiffany and Co Necklace - Another gift from my Boyfriend was this stunning heart Tiffany and Co necklace. You can imagine the look on my face when I opened this! I haven't stopped wearing this beautiful necklace since Christmas Day.

Baking - I love baking as I find it really relaxing and enjoy creating new treats for my family and friends.  My mum and dad bought me a set of silicone cake pop makers which I can't wait to use.  Cake pops are so pretty and you can make so many variations I am going to be using these a lot over the coming year.  I'm sure there will be some blog posts on them! I also got this adorable pink 'Bake' tin which includes the ingredients to make mini Victoria sponges and will be so cute to store things in.

Clothes - I got a gorgeous selection of clothes from a variety of people which I love.  The first are pajamas from my mum and dad which has become a Christmas tradition as well as the softest, fluffiest dressing gown in the world.  As I feel the cold easily I also got a grey and black Leopard print bobble hat (which I wore in the living room on Christmas day) and plum mittens.  One of my best friends, Emma also got me a stunning silver and pink scarf. As you can spy in the picture I also got a super soft and fluffy grey jumper from New Look which has pretty jewels across the shoulders.  This was also from my parents.

DVDs and CDS - Another set of gifts from my parents were the Breaking Bad Box Set (I've heard this show is amazing and I can't wait to watch it!) as well as a One Direction and Now 86 CD. Whoop whoop!

Other - Some other bits and bobs I got were a Juice Cube which is a fab gadget you can use to charge your phone of the go.  Anyone who owns an Iphone 5 will know this is an essential and is something I expect will get used every day! This gift was from my mum and dad as well as the adorable 'A Spoilt Dog Lives Here' pillow.  Anyone who knows me well will know I have a Jack Russell who I love to bit and is spoilt rotten!  I also got some treats from Whittards from my boyfriend that include a tub of Luxury Hot Chocolate and Dream Time Tea. My brother and niece know I'm a big fan of Dan Brown so kindly bought me his latest book 'Inferno' as well as some pretty bracelets I have already worn a couple of times! One of my best friends gave my boyfriend and I a bottle of Proscecco and my first ever item from Le Creuset! I was also lucky enough to get the latest Just Dance Wii Game which I will love! I've got others in the series and they are not only a fun but good exercise too!  Lastly, I got money from my nan and some members of my boyfriends family which I'm thinking of spending on another Jo Malone candle and some new knee high boots... maybe!

I've been told there are another two presents on their way that didn't arrive in time for Christmas as they got lost in the post.  I can't wait to see what they are! A big thank you to everyone who bought me my Christmas pressies if you are reading this.. I LOVE them ALL.

What did you get for Christmas?

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 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Lush Snow Cake Soap Review

Today's post is all about the pretty limited edition soap from Lush named Snow Cake.  As the name suggests, this is another Lush product which is only around during the Christmas period and is one I buy every year.

Snow cake is displayed as a large circular block covered in gold glitter and odd shapes on one side so when it is cut the chunk of soap you get looks completely different each time. I love how unique this makes it. The texture is soft, rich and creamy which means after use your hands are left feeling nourished, clean and smooth... perfect.  As for the scent, Snow Cake is said to smell of marzipan and fruit which I can't actually identify at all.  Instead, I find the scent to be floral and sweet probably due to the rose absolute and cassis ingredients.

Each year I usually buy two blocks of Snow Cake weighing 100g each which both last me six months or more.  I prefer to use gels and foams in the shower so I simply use this as a hand soap which means more people can enjoy it because our guests get to use it too!

You can buy Snow Cake from Lush for £3.25 per 100g.

What do you think of Snow Cake?

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Have you entered my Macadamia Travel Set Giveaway?

 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Wonderful Advertisers / December

Hi Ladies! It's that time again where the wonderful advertisers featured in my side bar for the past month get to introduce themselves and their blog/website to my lovely readers.  To find out their own thoughts on their blogs keep reading this post and please share the love by taking a look at their websites and following. You won't be disappointed!

So let me please introduce (for the last time this year)......

Hoad Shoes

Established in 1898 Hoad Shoes is situated in the heart of Sevenoaks in Kent providing footwear for all the family. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service, superb product knowledge and a vast range of products from fashion boots and shoes to extra wide fittings for swollen feet and orthotic insoles for foot problems. We have recently opened our online shop hoadshoes.co.uk selling a wide range of products such as Gabor, HB, Pedro Miralles, Dubarry and Timberland to name a few. We offer free postage on all online orders and a click and collect option if you are local to the area.

Links:

Website: www.hoadshoes.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HoadShoes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoadShoes?ref=hl

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hoadshoes

Instagram: http://instagram.com/hoadshoes

Beky Lou

My name is Beky and I started BekyLou in late September of this year; I've had an overwhelming response and it's become such a hug part of my life. BekyLou is a beauty,fashion and lifestyle blog in which I share all of my beauty/fashion loves and lusts with you all, review products and also mix in some personal lifestyle posts such as 'My Journey with Anxiety and Depression', which has been my most viewed and most personal post to date. I'd love it if you could take a peep over via my links below and follow - I'm aiming for 300 bloglovin followers by the end of January! 

Links:
Blog: www.bekylou.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beky_boo94
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bekyboo1
Instagram: http://instagram.com/bexyboo1
Blog Lovin': http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4136645

Dulcie

Dulcie’s Beauty Blog – A Beauty and Lifestyle blog where I share my beauty favourites and my reviews of products I’ve tried and products I’ve liked. Make-up is my thing, with nails as a close second.  Created with inspiration from my beautiful friends, the blog features my make-up looks and outfits, nail polish favourites and skin care picks. A creative space, Dulcie’s Beauty Blog brings beauty products, style and fun together.

Links:

Blog: www.dulciesbeautyblog.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dulciesbeautybl

Instagram: http://instagram.com/dulciesbeauty

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dulciesbeautyblog

Kim Radley

Hello I’m Kim, writer of my blog KIM RADLEY! I love to write about the many beauty products I get my mitts on, the clothes that occupy my chest of drawers and the goings on in my wonderful life; I also throw in the occasional outfit post! I’ve never really had a hobby before but now I’ve started blogging, it’s taking over my life – and there’s no way I’m going to stop it! Make sure you follow my blog via the links above, and of course have a peek. I’m also over on Twitter and Instagram as well!  xx

Links:

Blog: http://kimradley.blogspot.co.uk/

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11066995

Twitter: https://twitter.com/radley_kim

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kimradley

Fashion Is Our Religion

My name is Amie and I'm an International Fashion Marketing student currently on my placement year as a Buyer’s Assistant. I created Fashion Is Our Religion to express my musings about the fashion industry, the latest marketing campaigns, trends, my personal style as well as a few beauty and lifestyle posts thrown in! Across my channels expect to see lots of my latest finds, hero products & reviews as well as anything that glitters, foodie shots and lots of  pictures of my adorable Shar-pei Toby. Please stop by and let me know what you think of Fashion Is Our Religion!

Links:

Blog: http://www.fashionisourreligion-x.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Fashion_IOR

Instagram: http://instagram.com/fashionisourreligion

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/FashionIOR/

Blog Lovin: http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7655009

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fashionisourreligionblog

It has been wonderful to advertise these lovely blogs this month, read their posts and get to know the people behind the blogs/webstie. I hope you will take the time to look at them an enjoy them too :)

 If you would like to advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog the details can be found here. 

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Have you entered my Macadamia Travel Set Giveaway?

 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

OPI Vamsterdam Review

I have been loving rich, dark nail polish shades this month and one which I adore is Vamsterdam by OPI.  It doesn't look like a particularly exciting shade in the bottle, more of a muddy purple which a slight shimmer but when applied on the nails I think it looks stunning.

Vamsterdam was part of the Spring 2012 Holland Collection which seems like an odd choice for that time of year because personally I find it suits the Autumn/Winter months better due to the dark tone of this shade.  The colour, once applied is a gorgeous deep plum which a subtle silver frost running through it. It looks gorgeous with day or evening looks and people always comment on how pretty it looks when I'm wearing it.  

The formulation of Vamsterdam is a little on the thin side but with two coats you can achieve a flawless finish which stays chip free for a few days when paired with a good base and top coat.

This nail polish pops up on Ebay and Fragrance Direct occasionally so if you're interested in trying it keep and eye out for it.  The other nail polish featured in this blog post is another by OPI and is called Diva in Geneva.

What do you think of this shade?

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Have you entered my Macadamia Travel Set Giveaway?

 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Whittards of Chelsea Luxury Hot Chocolate Review

Hello Everyone! I hope you're all well.  This week has been very busy with Christmas and before we know it 2014 will be here which is a scary thought.  I can't believe how quickly this year has gone!

Today's post is a review of a delicious hot chocolate drink I recently discovered in Whittards of Chelsea.  I was in there buying some Turkish Apple tea for my dad when they offered me the chance to register for offers and free samples.  I jumped at the chance because I have often been intrigued by the treats at Whittards but as they are quite expensive I have been put off buying them because it is a lot of money to spend on something I may not like.

Whittards of Chelsea have a large range of hot chocolates but the one that jumped out to me was the Luxury range as I wasn't looking for anything too extravagant.  I would definitely love to try some of the others in the future, though, such as the caramel, mint and rocky road flavours!

The packaging for Whittards tea and hot chocolate are simple tubs which are cute and keep the product fresh. They are pretty basic but are non offensive and do the job.  I also like that the packaging is consistent across all the different ranges.  The hot chocolate itself is a powder which when added to milk turns into a delicious rich and smooth treat.  The colour is an inviting deep brown and the taste is amazing.  This yummy drink definitely tastes of chocolate and while it is rich, it isn't too overpowering or heavy so it is easy to drink.  In fact, I have probably be drinking far too much of it since buying it! Unlike other hot chocolates I have tried in the past which have been powder based, you don't get a gritty or fake texture instead it is smooth, thick (ish) and creamy.

If you want to try this delicious team you can buy the Luxury hot chocolate from Whittards of Chelsea for £5.50.

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Have you entered my Macadamia Travel Set Giveaway?

 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here

Seascape Sleep Oil Review

Unfortunately, I am a very light sleeper and often find it hard to get the solid 8 hours it is said we are meant to have.  I find I struggle to get to sleep initially and when I eventually do I often find myself waking up in the night.  I don't like the idea of using sleeping tablets but have often heard about sleep oils which I have been wanting to try for a while.

This sleep oil by *Seascape is held in a delicate roller ball bottle which is petite, cute and simple.  The liquid inside is a subtle golden colour and contains 100% natural oils, colours and fragrances.  The ingedients are sourced from ethical suppliers, the packaging recyclable and the company is completely against animal testing.  This makes this product appeal to me straight away.

The formula of the oil is thin and non greasy and to use you simply push the roller ball applicator onto your templates, pulse points and under your nose to help aid sleep or relaxation. This applicator is so easy to use and allows you to apply as much or little of the product as you wish.  

When using this sleep oil, the first thing that hits you is the delicate fragrance of lavender.  This scent is known to be calming and relaxing so is perfect ingredient to use in the sleep oil.  Other oils also teamed with this are from grape seed, sweet almond, bitter orange flower and mandarin orange peel which when combined deliver a gorgeously gentle, subtle and soothing fragrance.

Any lovers of lavender will enjoy using this product. I'm not too sure if it has aided me with sleeping but it certainly helps me relax and I love using it.  I also like there there are no chemical nasties in it like parabens and silicones.

You can buy Seascape Sleep Oil online for £10.00.

What do you think of sleep oils?

| Twitter || Instagram || Blog Lovin' ||  You Tube |

Have you entered my Macadamia Travel Set Giveaway?

 Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Hoad Shoes - An Independent Little Shoe Shop

Pink Swirl: Beky Lou, Dulcie's Beauty Blog, Kim Radley

Pink Pearl: Mademoiselle-Pastel, Fashion Is Our Religion

To advertise with Kimberley's Beauty Blog find out more info here