Wishlist: Christmas Novelties.

Jumper: Topshop, £42

Christmas Pug Socks: ASOS, £3

Reindeer Antler Beanie: ASOS, £10

Christmas Briefs: ASOS, £12.99

Reindeer Onesie: ASOS, £24

 

Christmas is coming and that means it's okay to be seen in public wearing the tackiest jumper you own, right? I already have my fair share of over-the-top Christmas jumpers from previous years and whilst ASOS has got some winning designs in stock (I love this one and this one), I do love the simplicity and quirkiness of this Topshop number, and who knows if someone will need reminding of the date on Christmas day?!

 

I would just like to make it clear that I don't plan on adding the Xmas briefs to my underwear drawer any time soon ever, but I couldn't help but add them to this wishlist purely for comedy value; I'm not sure what occasion these are suitable for?! There's no hiding that VPL. I do, however, think I will be adding some antlers to my beanie hat collection, and a Christmas edition to my ever-growing collection of pug socks (which is currently 13 pairs strong. I'm not sure I was supposed to admit that).  Oh, and I'd like a boyfriend just so that I can dress him up as a reindeer. Or maybe I just need to find a reindeer onesie for myself!

 

Do you have your Christmas jumper ready?

 

Frances x

Event: #FDXMasParty, Fragrance Direct.

Last night marked the beginning of all the Christmas festivities in the Blogosphere, with Fragrance Direct's Christmas Party at All Star Lanes in Manchester Deansgate. With Christmas decorations, Christmas crackers containing little surprise samples from Fragrance Direct's range and lots of amazing cocktails and food (including mini burgers, corndogs and breaded parcels of macaroni cheese- yes, you read that right), it was everything that a Christmas party should be; not to mention the strong waft of perfume we were greeted with when we entered the room, from the display table of Fragrance Direct's featured perfumes for the festive period. After a spritz of a few bottles it was decided that YSL's Black Opium, Valentina by Valentino and Lola by Marc Jacobs (mainly because of that beautiful bottle) were the firm favourites. As the event took place in All Star Lanes, of course we had a couple of lanes booked to show off our bowling skills, which seemed to progressively get worse as each glass of prosecco was consumed (though it was already established a long time ago that I am shockingly bad at bowling anyway, nor do I look good in those sexy silver bowling shoes).

Not only do Fragrance Direct stock perfumes, but they have also branched out into makeup, haircare and bath & body products, and us lucky bloggers were sent home from the event with a Christmas goodie bag filled with treats from the likes of Ciate, Fashionista, Essie and Schwarzkopf to name a few. Thanks for an amazing evening, Fragrance Direct! :)

Do you have any perfumes on your Christmas wishlist this year?

Frances x

Wishlist: Beauty.

NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette: £45

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks in Bond Girl & Glastonberry: £23 each

MAC Lipsticks in Brave, Twig & Velvet Teddy: £15.50 each

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette: £37

Considering that francescassandra.com first started out as a beauty blog, I'm not a makeup obsessive at all. I only wear a full face of makeup when I know that I am going to be out and about for the entire day, and I like to stick to what I know which is usually my wallet-friendly Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and Maybelline gel eyeliner. I rarely blow my budget experimenting with new brands or splurging on the latest product hypes, however, I am a sucker for having a bit of luxury in my makeup drawer every once in a while and Christmas is usually my opportunity to get my hands on one or two pieces from the high-end Christmas releases.

On the top of my list is the Virtual Domination Cheek Palette from NARS. After missing out on the highly-sought-after Guy Bourdin release last year, I have been keeping my eye on SpaceNK like a hawk and I'm glad to see that they have brought out a palette that is equally as beautiful this year. I have also been lusting over Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipsticks since they were released a couple of months ago, but even in all their rose gold glory, their £23 price tag hasn't been justifiable.

I haven't been impressed by any of MAC's festive collections this year (how many shades of red and berry does a girl need?!), but Christmas is always a great time to stock up on a few of the trusty favourites. I am also admittedly probably one of the only girls who doesn't own one of the three Urban Decay Naked Palettes; I did own the second release but I sold it on after it sat unloved amongst my other eyeshadow palettes for the best part of a year, but I do think that Naked 3 has the most wearable selection of shades amongst the three.

Do you have any beauty products in your Christmas wishlist this year?

Frances x

Review: Debenhams Christmas Flowers.

Cinnamon Spice Bouquet- Debenhams Flowers: £29.99*

If you're looking for an extra something to give to your mum, your grandma or your aunt for Christmas, a bouquet of flowers is always a safe bet. Debenhams have brought out a range of festive bouquets to suit the occasion, made up of a selection of gorgeous red, white and green blooms. I was sent the Cinnamon Spice bouquet to review, and whilst I am a little disappointed at the lack of cinnamon fragrance, I agree that the Grandprix roses, cinnamon stick bundles and bunches of red berries make a very pretty arrangement which screams Christmas from it's vase on my dining room table. As usual, the flowers arrived unscathed in a sturdy box complete with some plant food to keep your bouquet looking great for as long as possible- Mine lasted for nearly two weeks before it started to look a little droopy!

Debenhams Flowers have kindly given me a discount code for £5 off all Christmas gifts until December 21, 2013, so if you fancy treating somebody to a pretty bunch of flowers (or even a nice bouquet to use as a dining table centre piece on Christmas Day), check out their full range here and don't forget to enter XMASBLOG at the checkout!

Will you be treating anybody to a bouquet for Christmas?

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample. My opinions are still 100% honest and my own.

Giveaway: Treat Republic Personalised Gifts.

1.  Personalised Forever Bracelet: £29.99

2. Personalised Message Never Forget Wooden Keyring: £9.99

3. Personalised Scottie Dog Food Bowl: £16.99

4. Personalised World Scratch Map: £15.99

5. Personalised Fairy Engraved Door Hanger: £14.99

I'm sure within every family or circle of friends there is somebody who is an absolute pain to shop for (boys, we're looking at you!). That's where gift websites such as Treat Republic step in to help and I don't think that you can go wrong with a personalised gift. Treat Republic has a huge collection of personalised gifts, ranging from kitchen utensils and cushions to glasses, mugs and jewellery, so there's something to suit everybody- even your pets! They have kindly teamed up with me this month to offer one of my lovely followers a gift of their choice, whether it be to tick something off their Christmas shopping list or to treat themself to an early Christmas present. The winner will receive an item of their choice up to the value of £30 from Treat Republic's Personalised Range, so I've picked out a few of my favourites to help you decide! As always, entries will be made via Rafflecopter and the rules are written below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules

-This giveaway is open to the UK only (I'm sorry!)!

-Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. To enter, you must be a follower of my blog via GFC or Bloglovin' and "like" the Treat Republic Facebook page. There are plenty of optional entries too!

-Please note that I run these giveaways to say thank you to my loyal followers. Entries will be checked and accounts created solely for the purpose of entering giveaways will be disregarded.

- The giveaway will run for ten days and will end at 11:59PM BST on Thursday, December 12, 2013.

Good luck! Let me know in the comments what you would like to win!

*DISCLOSURE: Collaborative giveaway. Treat Republic are kindly supplying the prize for this giveaway.

Christmas Gift Guide 2012: For Her.

With November coming to an end and Christmas now less than a month away, I thought I would put together a series of Christmas gift guides for those of you who are like me and tend to leave their Christmas shopping uncomfortably late! I am starting with gifts for her; your mum, your sister, your best friend or even you :)

1. Lush Christmas Gift Box: Lush £6.50-£99.95

I don't think you could go wrong with a Lush gift box. They always offer a wide variety of selections ranging from super cheap to a little more on the dear side to cater for different budgets, so there really is something to suit everybody. What's more, you don't even have to wrap it up, as the products come presented in a pretty box, complete with a ribbon and a gift tag!

2. iPad 3: Carphone Warehouse from £379.00

If you're looking to splash out a little more or you're looking for one big present to ask for yourself, why not go for an iPad? A tablet is a perfect gift for us bloggers; it would make for easy access to emails and comments and on-the-go blog reading, as it is much more compact than a laptop.

3. Enrapture Encode Totem Styler: Debenhams £37.00

This is something I already own myself and I can safely say that it is a hair tool that any curly hair-loving girl would be glad to receive. With an endless amount of heat setting options, any hair style can be achieved, from tight ringlet curls to soft, natural waves.

4. Name Necklace: Names4Ever Prices vary

This is something else that I have myself (see my review here) and I absolutely adore it. Names4Ever offer so many different styles of name necklace to choose from, along with name earrings and engraved rings also, and they would make a beautiful gift for somebody special.

5. Christmas Candy Gift Box: Cybercandy from £9.99

 Have somebody with a sweet tooth in mind? Cybercandy is an amazing website that stocks sweet treats that are a little harder to get hold of in the UK. They have put together some different sized selection boxes for Christmas which would make the perfect gift for a chocolate-lover.

What are you asking for this Christmas?

*DISCLOSURE: Sponsored content.

Christmas Haul

I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday, laughed lots, ate and drank until you almost burst, and got everything you wished for. Today I am going to show you the things I received. Of course, I am in no way doing this to brag, I just thought that some of you would be interested in seeing what I got. I'd love to see what all of you got, so if you have done a post like this, be sure to link me to it :)

I hope you are all having a nice, restful boxing day, or a successful shopping trip if you are hitting the sales!

SPA Foot Treats

Ferrero Rochers

Guylian Chocolates

Lush Stardust Gift Set

Love Hearts Sweets

Tights

Nail Polish Remover

Collection 2000 Cream Puffs (Cotton Candy and Angel Delight)

Barry M Nail Paints (Silver Cascade, Mushroom and Dusky Mauve)

Marks and Spencer Perfection 6 Piece Makeup Brush Set

Underwear

Tangle Teezer

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner

Unbranded Makeup Set (Two makeup brushes, eyeliner, mascara, lipgloss, eyeshadow)

Furry Animal Ears Hat

Faux Leather/ Jersey Biker Jacket

If anybody would like to see a more indepth post/review on any of these items, please let me know!

What did you get for Christmas? Are you hitting the Boxing Day sales?

100 Things: 31-40

Part Four of the 100 things I love/ that make me happy :)

(Pictures from We Heart It)

31. The feeling when you get home after a long day out.

32. Hand written letters.

33. Watching people's faces light up when they open a present.

34. Fuzzy socks.

35. Remembering something funny that happened ages ago.

36. (Faux) Fur.

37. Bubble baths

38. Christmas dinner.

39. Ballet

40. Fresh bed sheets.

Can you believe it is Christmas Eve?!

I have just been running around town with my dad finishing our Christmas shopping because we always leave it to the last minute haha. I just have to wrap everything now and then I think I'm done :)

I just want to wish my readers an amazing Christmas! Make sure you eat and drink lots and I hope you get everything you have wished for! :) If you don't celebrate Christmas then I just hope you have a wonderful time spent with those closest to you!

I will be back after tomorrow with loads to blog about! :)
All the best Christmas wishes,

FOTD: Sleek Berry Collection

So the other day, I was a little bit naughty and I purchased the Sleek limited edition Berry Collection for myself whilst I was out shopping for Christmas presents. I love the matte berry colours in the set and thought they would be perfect teamed with gold, shimmery eyes for a Christmas or New Year party :) As usual, it was a battle to get good photographs with the lighting being so gloomy, but I think these were the best ones. I hope you like it and I definitely recommend buying this set before it sells out!

Makeup I used:

Face

-Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation, 201 Classic Beige

-Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, Light

-Sleek Contour Palette, Medium

-Sleek Blush, Fenberry (Sleek Berry Collection)

Lips

-Sleek Kohl Pencil, Mossberry (Sleek Berry Collection)

-Sleek True Colour Lipstick, Cranberry (Sleek Berry Collection)

Eyes

-MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

1. Inner Corner

2.Crease and lower lashline

3.Lid

4.Browbone highlight

5. Outer Corner

-Upper lashline: Stila Smudge stick, Moray

-Water line: MUA Intense Colour Eyeliner, Snow White

-Mascara: Maybelline the Colossal Volum' Express Mascara, Black

If you have any questions, feel free to ask :) 

Also, if you haven't seen my mention on my previous blog posts, I am looking to hold a Giveaway soon to celebrate passing 100 Followers, but I am stuck for what to include in the prize. Skin care or makeup? A set or a random selection of things? Please comment below and tell me what you would like to win, and whether you prefer to know what the prize is when you enter, or if I should keep it a surprise until the winner is announced? Thank youu! :)

Tag: Ready For Christmas?

So I'm a bit stumped for blog posts for the next few days due to a lack of buying things for myself because of Christmas shopping, and now also because of a lack of camera as I have lent mine to my boyfriend so he can do his university project. So with it also being less than a week to Christmas I thought it was the perfect time to throw in this Christmas tag :) I haven't been feeling very Christmassy lately which is very unlike me :( so this is a perfect opportunity to add a bit of Christmas spirit to my blog :)

  Is this not the most amazing Christmas tree ever?! (Picture from We Heart It)

1.Whats Your Favorite Holiday Movie? 

- I love Christmas films, I always get really excited when they begin to be aired in December. I can't really choose a favourite but a few that I really enjoy are Elf, Home Alone and A Christmas Carol.

2. Whats Your Favorite Christmas Color? 

- Green. I love green and red, and green and gold combinations around Christmas time :)

3. Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs Or Dress Up For Christmas?

-I like to stay in my pyjamas for a little bit in the morning but I get dressed around lunch time. I have never been one to get really dressed up on Christmas Day though.

4. If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be? 

- This is too difficult, I hate missing people out haha. I think my dad is the most deserving though, he gives so much to my family throughout the year and has been there for me through the hardest times this year.

5. Do You Open Your Present Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?

-I open my presents on Christmas Morning. When I was younger I used to open a couple on Christmas Eve because I was so excited, but I just like to wait now.

6. Have You Ever Built a Ginger Bread House?

- I haven't, but it looks really fun and I would like to try it... I can just imagine it falling down on me though :( haha.

7. What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break?

- Relax, not have to worry about a thing, get a little bit merry, spend lots of time with my boyfriend and family, and accompany my dad on his annual mad dash for Christmas presents on Christmas Eve.

8. Any Christmas Wishes?

- For everybody to be able to put whatever bad has happened to them this year behind them and have a really lovely Christmas and look forward to a fresh start in the New Year!

9. Favorite Christmas Smell?

- I love spicy cinnamon/ vanilla scented candles and the smell on Christmas Day of all the wrapping paper and Christmas Dinner cooking in the kitchen.

10. Favorite Christmas Meal Or Treat? 

- Christmas Dinner, of course, with all the trimmings. And a chocolate Yule log for dessert :)

11) What are you doing for the holidays this year?

- Just staying at home, I don't like spending Christmas abroad, I have only done it once and it doesn't feel right to me.

12) What's your favorite holiday drink?

- Bailey's hot chocolate!

13) Candy cane or Gingerbread man?

- Candy cane, I'm not the biggest fan of ginger bread, though I do enjoy cookies and biscuits more than sticks of rock.

14) What's your favorite holiday/Christmas song?

- AND THE BOYS FROM THE NYPD CHOIR WERE SINGING GALWAY BAY, AND THE BELLS WERE RINGING OUT FOR CHRISTMAS DAY!

Fairytale of New York, no question about it.

15) What's the weirdest gift you've ever received?

- I don't think I've ever received a "weird" gift, but my dad used to buy me loads of those science experiment kits for kids when I was younger where you could build a water- powered rocket or grow strange plants. I think it was more so that he could play with them, he's a kid at heart and loves science haha.

What a cutie, this made me smile :) (Picture from Locked Illusions Photography)

I hope you enjoyed this tag, feel free to link me if you have done this tag or one similar :)

Also, I would like to thank all my followers as I have recently passed 100 followers! It honestly means so much to me that you enjoy reading my blog and I will definitely hold a giveaway soon to say thank you!

Christmas Gift Guide- Men

I can't lie, I have just had the most stressful time putting together this gift guide, why are guys so difficult to shop for (please tell me I'm not the only one, I seem to be "blessed" with having the most fussy men in my life haha)?

I have posted a couple of my own wishlists on here which may help you with christmas gifts for girls, so I thought I would make this post to suggest some gifts for the men.

1. Kenneth Cole Chronological Gold Dial Watch: £100, Casio Gold Classic Digital Watch: £45

I think watches are always a good gift for guys, as long as they suit the style of the person you're buying it for. These are a couple of my favourites that I found- I even like the Casio watch for girls aswell.

2. Davidoff Cool Water Man Aftershave Gift Set: 75ml, £23.80

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I love Cool Water fragrances. I think it is a classic, refreshing scent for guys; a few of the men in my family wear this.

3. IGNITE Plaid Trapper Hat: £28

I love trapper hats on both men and women, I think there is style that suits everybody and they help keep your ears warm :)

4. The Jelly Bean Factory Machine with 600g of Jelly Beans: £21.59

My dad loves The Jelly Bean Factory jelly beans and he gets some from my grandma every Christmas haha. I think this dispenser would make the gift a bit more fun :)

5. LUSH Products- Daddy-O Shampoo: 100ml, £4.75  Wiccy Magic Muscles Massage Bar: 70g, £5.95  Coal Face Cleanser: 100g, £4.50

If the man you're buying for isn't afraid to try something new and likes to be pampered, maybe treat him to some stuff from Lush? Not all of their products have girly appearances or scents, some of them are even targeted at men.

So there it is, my Christmas Gift Guide for Men. I hope it was helpful for you and that most of you have guys in your life that are easy to buy for haha :)

I might put together a gift guide of presents under £10 soon, let me know if you would like to see that :)

My Christmas Wishlist

So I thought I would do two blog posts today seeing as it's my day off :P I hope you don't mind.

I have put together my christmas wishlist for you to see; maybe it will give you an idea of what to get somebody for christmas, or maybe something you'd like to receive yourself?

1. iPhone

I need an iPhone in my life! For too long have I gone on using a crappy Samsung phone that my boyfriend gave to me after the HP iPAQ that my sister-in-law gave me broke after my LG phone broke :(

2. Miss Selfridge Jersey Sleeve Biker Jacket £55

I have wanted a new leather-look jacket for a while, the one I've had the one I'm currently using for over three years now... And my God, how I wish I could have afforded to buy one of the Versace for H & M embellished leather jackets- They are to die for! Anyway, I spotted this one on the Miss Selfridge website and I actually went in store today to try it on; I love it! I think it's a little bit different from your usual leather jacket.

3. LUSH Stardust Gift box £26.95

I can smell the contents of this gift box by just look at the picture! I really want to try the Snow Fairy Shower Gel and Magic Wand Bubble Bar, and I think this would be a lovely box to receive for Christmas.

4. Stella McCartney Print Collection Eau De Parfum £35

I know I'm way behind with this as the collection actually came out for Spring/ Summer, but it is still available so why not?! I have never actually smelt this perfume so I'm taking everybody's word for it that it smells nice, as I haven't seen a negative review yet. I have to admit, I was drawn in solely by the beautiful bottle designs :P

5. Makeup Brush Set

I think it's about time I got a good quality makeup brush set- The only brushes I have are an eyeshadow brush, an angled brush which I use for my eyebrows and eyeliner and a crappy little blusher brush that is all prickly on my skin :(

6. Les Tai Tai Model Mirror £18-£22

I've seen quite a few bloggers/ youtubers with these mirrors and I think they're so cute and handy. I think one of these would be good to throw in my bag whenever I'm heading out, and the little lights would come in good use when I'm on a night out or something. This gold skull design is my favourite.

What is on your Christmas wishlist?