New Year's Eve Party Dress Tips

Hey everyone. This is just a quick post tonight to wish you all well and say I hope you enjoy yourselves this New Year's Eve. Please remember to stay safe!

Boohoo have put together this New Year's Eve Party Dress piece for me to share with you so have a wee look before midnight is upon us ;)




Love to you all

Xmas Gifts To Me

Hey everyone. I am sorry that it has been a while since I posted on Beautiful Addictions, but I hope you forgive me. I had to pick up Xmas gifts all the way up to Xmas Eve while feeling a little rough and then we were out visiting as well as having family and friends over like most of you I'm sure. So today I thought it would be cool to show you my Xmas gifts that I love, but there is one that I am so excited about :)


My SONY NEX 5T camera is amazing. I have been lusting after a new camera for so long, but never really had enough money to buy one of this standard. My man however stepped up and bought this for me as a Xmas/birthday present as my birthday is in January. I did get a bit emotional lets just say. I was also given a memory card from his family later that day which almost set me off again. I have been trying to learn all the parts of the camera so please bear with me while I try to improve. I am figuring out the video too as I am going to attempt uploading YouTube videos in 2014 :) This photo was taken with my Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FS15 camera. It has served me well so far (thanks Mum) and it will still come in handy I'm sure because it is so compact and takes pretty good photos. I would totally recommend it if you are new to blogging or just want something simple to use that takes good quality photos.


My Mum bought this cake stand which I thought would be fun to display most of my presents on. Beauty treats galore!


More beauty with a little Hello Kitty in the mix.


Vouchers and money never go out of fashion right!


Some home decor and note books for blogging.


Beauty essentials


My amazing Katy Perry Killer Queen fragrance that I have wanted since I received a sample in my GlossyBox, a snuggly hat and an American Eagle Outfitters t-shirt that was bought for me in New York.


Yummy chocolate and gloves to scrub the dishes as well as myself.


Apologies for the composition of this photo, but it was only meant to be a test shot. I just thought you might want to see my tree :)

So that is all of my lovely presents. I have my secret Santa present to collect when I return to work on Monday as I took some last minute time off to get things prepared in time for Xmas.

I hope you all had a great time and that you are still in good spirits. If you have any photography and/or camera tips I would be most grateful if you could leave them in the comments below.

Do any of you have New Years Eve plans? If yes, let me know also what you are getting up to.



Love to you all

The Watch Gallery London Fashion Weekend Competition

Hi there sweeties. I have been out in the wind and rain today picking up a couple of Xmas pressies, but I am still not finished. Please tell me that I am not the only one?

Anyway today's post is my entry to the etailPR The Watch Gallery London Fashion Weekend competition. There are golden tickets available for 6 winning bloggers to attend LFWend February 2014.

This Gold ticket will include:


- Entrance to Vodafone London Fashion Weekend
- Shop exclusive offers from over 80 designers
- Trend Catwalk Show
- Designer Catwalk Show
- Access to a packed programme of industry talks
- Limited edition designer tote bag, filled with treats (Only available while stocks last)


To win this experience at London Fashion Weekend bloggers must create a blog post about their favourite watch case material such as steel, rose gold or even diamonds using watches from TheWatchGallery.com

I have wanted a rose gold watch ever since the rose gold trend came about, but never got one. Rose gold is still the watch case material that attracts me the most so here are my favourite watches from the ladies rose gold section on The Watch Gallery website.


L-R: 1234 & 5

I like watches that are quite clean looking and by that I mean that they look classic and simplistic enough to wear with any outfit. Something that will stand the test of time (excuse the pun) and that I will keep forever. I do like diamonds on some watches too, but diamonds that are a detail rather than all over bling. Something like my choice no.5.

I have never attended London Fashion Weekend and so to experience it would be so exciting.

If you would like to enter this etailPR blogger network competition you must email the URL of your blog post to bloggers@etailpr.com.
Entries for this competition will close at 10am, Thursday 2nd January 2014. 
What are your favourite features when purchasing a watch? Let me know along with your picks from thewatchgallery.com in the comments below.



Love to you all

Save The Children Ladies Night Eltham

Hi there cherubs. Today I really must tell you about this charity shop event I attended on Thursday 28th November. My Mum (Irene) has been working as a volunteer in this Save The Children shop for some years now with a great team of people.

The event was set up to allow ladies to view the stock out of the shops usual hours and find themselves a bargain or few.

So here are snaps of just some of the fabulous range that was in store that night .......

FASHION


Velvet, jewel toned and 90's bra shaping are all on trend right now and the style of this dress is perfect for the party season.


Shoe styles like these never seem to go out of fashion and fit with so many outfits.


The cocoon shaping of this dress has a very designer-esque feel.


This beautiful lace detail dress can be worn all year round due to it's monochrome design.



Gucci Inspired shoes & belt


Colourful Diamante


Balenciaga style bag


More 90's fashion. Perfect for sparkling at festive parties and events.


Great to keep out winter chills and look super stylish.

BEAUTY/GIFTS



HOMEWARE



Cute kitsch ceramics


Blue tones


So cute for some festive cheer.

LIFESTYLE


I do love a bit of Gok styling.


Tips from the model herself.

Guests sipped on beverages, munched on nibbles and some treated themselves to a painted manicure too.




It was a very enjoyable night that embodied the community spirit of Eltham. There will hopefully be even more events in the New Year too. I am so proud of Mum and the team she works with. They have a really well laid out shop with fantastic stock and warm hearts to greet you.

Why not pop in to have a browse and say hello to my Mum (Irene) and her fellow colleagues. I am sure they would be glad to see you :) Let them know you heard about the shop from my blog.

Opening Times:

Monday & Sunday: 10am - 3pm

Tuesday to Saturday: 10am - 4pm

Address:

Unit 3, 14 Passey Pl, London SE9 5DQ (just off the high street near Argos)

Are you a thrifty shopper who prefers scouring charity and vintage shops for bargains to create an individual style? Also, which are your favourite items from this post? Let me know in the comments below.



Love to you all


DHC Olive Body Butter



Cult Japanese beauty brand DHC will be launching in the new year their Olive Body Butter. A luxurious, high performance moisturiser packed with softening botanicals including shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, squalane and argan oil.

The non-greasy formula absorbs quickly into the skin for immediate results. Smooth over the body daily after showering or whenever skin feels dry, paying particular attention to dry patches. 

My thoughts:

I love the textures of body butters, but I don't usually buy them anymore as I prefer to squeeze, pump or spray body creams, lotions and oils into my hands to apply. The texture of this body butter though is like no other I have tried. It feels more sturdy than others in the pot and definitely has an emollient feel. 

The butter is not at all greasy, yet it leaves a layer a bit like a dry oil in the skin. Like it's locking in the moisture. It sank into my skin very quickly and easily.

The packaging is beautiful and would look sweet on dressing tables of all ages. The scent is very floral just like the packaging suggests.

I do really like this product, but unfortunately I would not purchase it as this tub which has almost been used up has only lasted less than 2 weeks. I admit that I have used this once a day neck to toes to see if I noticed any changes in my skin. I am usually very lazy with body moisturising, but if I continued to use it like this it would be a very expensive product for me. I was quite liberal in my application though.

My skin did feel much softer and conditioned from using this body butter so for those with already dry skin or really feeling the impact on their winter skin this may be worth a try.

I am definitely a fan of DHC skincare and would love to try more of their products.

Thank you Freedom PR for sending me this free sample to test and review. 

RRP: £15.50 – available from 1 January 2014!

DHC products are available from www.dhcuk.co.uk

Selected DHC products are also available at BeautyMART and Selfridges London.

Find DHC on twitter @DHCUK_Skincare

Will you be treating yourself to this product in the new year? Let me know along with your favourite DHC products, including reasons in the comments below.



Love to you all

Festive Treasures GlossyBox & NOTD

Hi there sweeties. Xmas is just over a week away and I still have so much to do, but one thing that always relieves any stress is the arrival of my GlossyBox :) This months box is a fab one so let me show you the products.


Loving the Xmas theme!



A natural mineral formula free from harsh chemicals and rich in jojoba oil. Non sticky, long lasting and tastes great. Cruelty free and BUAV approved. Suitable for vegetarians. 

My thoughts:


This is obviously a very natural lip gloss. It doesn't feel sticky at all. It's texture feels quite creamy and nourishing actually. I am not sure how long it will last on the lips as I have only just applied it. I wouldn't say it tastes good or bad. I think this shade is so neutral that it will suit all skin tones and could be worn over any lipstick due to it's milky, nude glossy shade.


A cream gel formula that is fade and crease resistant. Long lasting vibrant and shimmery shades.

My thoughts:


I have always wanted to try one of these Maybelline Color Tattoos, but for some reason never actually picked one up. This shade looks fantastic and I can't wait to try it out. I think it will look superb when paired with the lip gloss above too. Now that this swatch has dried on my hand I have to say that this shadow is pretty resistant to budging. I had to really rub it with my finger to see the tiniest specs flake from it, but lets face it who is going to rub over their eyes so harshly. I will store this upside down to stop it drying out as quickly. A good tip for cream and gel eye formulas!


A 3 in 1 razor that lathers, moisturises and shaves. 100% natural aloe and enriched vitamin E to moisturise. The packaging is natural too. Pivoting head design to smooth around body contours. Indicator lets you know when to replace blades. Fragrance free.

Wet the conditioning solid to activate. Keep skin and razor wet as you shave and press gently.

My thoughts:

I find the thought of shaving without applying a gel or cream first a little weird, but I am happy to try this as it saves the need for another product.


One coat coverage with a satin smooth finish that dries quickly.

Apply a base coat, apply one or two coats of the Seche Nail Lacquer and a top coat.

My thoughts:


Here I have applied a base coat, two coats of the Seche Nail Lacquer, my E.L.F. nail polish in Twinkle and my nail drying spray. Here is a link to this Seche shade on the Seche website so that you can see the colour better. I applied this on Saturday and it lasted until Monday when I did 4 hours of housework. It probably would have lasted better with the Seche Dry Fast Top Coat, but cleaning the house always chips my nails no matter what I use.


This full size Eau de toilette comes in a heart shaped, black jewelled bottle.

The scent combines fruity honey and sweet top notes, the heart notes complement with Orchid, Jasmine and Peony and the base notes are deep with Amarylis and black incense.

My thoughts:

This is my first Lipsy fragrance. I do like the bottle design, but I do not have a bottle to show you so you will have to look in the link above. It looks so much like the design of the Diesel Loverdose Tattoo fragrance. I am not sure who brought theirs out first though. Although both fragrances contain jasmine the other ingredients seem to be different. I do like this scent. It's a little deeper than other Edt I have tried which I like as I prefer a stronger scent. I can smell the fruity honey, but it does have a sensual, deep base.

So far I have been very impressed by this box. For more information on GlossyBox UK check this link and for the US GlossyBox see this link.

Which products did you receive in your GlossyBox this month and are you happy with them? Let me know in the comments below.



Love to you all

Ann Summers Underneath the LBD Blogger Competition

Hi loves. How are you all on this wet Monday? I have been giving my house a good clean today for the start of my Xmas break, yay :)

Ann Summers are running a blogger competition named 'Underneath The Little Black Dress'. The idea is to create a mood board including your chosen LBD with Ann Summers underwear to wear underneath. The winner will be awarded £900 of Love2Shop vouchers plus a £100 Ann Summers voucher.





This dress from Sugarhill Boutique is sophisticated grown up glamour with a cheeky heart detail on the back. This dress would be perfect for New Years Eve to party with friends and who knows have a midnight kiss?

For that sexy feel good factor I have chosen these items from the Ann Summers XXXmas lingerie range. Red is always a great festive shade that also brings out that inner temptress. 

Check out the full XXXmas lingerie range in this link!

I would accessorise this look with these fabulous finds from New Look.







Black and gold together make any outfit look polished.

For more information on how to enter this competition check out this link!

Please note that all entries must be made by midnight Monday 16th December (tonight)!!

Good luck to all that enter :)

What are your favourite pieces from the Ann Summers XXXmas lingerie range? Let me know in the comments below.



Love to you all


GODDIVA Celebrity Inspired Party Dresses

Hi lovelies I have another post for you today with a focus on party dresses from Goddiva. With December being the month of countless invitations to parties and events the first thing on most girls minds is 'but what am I going to wear?' Well don't worry because help is at hand. I have chosen my favourite celebrity inspired dresses and I hope you like them too :)

Mid Length



This bondage style dress still remains classy revealing only the shoulders. This a beautiful piece that I actually prefer to Kim's. The neckline detailing draws you upwards towards the smile you will have on your face with the confidence this dress gives. The symmetrical lines have turned this dress into architecture.



This style is definitely a siren dress for the confident sex kitten. I love this rich wine shade. Perfect for this time of year. If you have a cleavage to rival Kim's than this dress will ensure that you are noticed. I would add strappy heels, a mini sparkly pouch bag and a fake fur stole to this look all in black. Then all you have to do is purrrrrr!



This simple classic wrap dress with it's angled neckline and sexy leg reveal is a perfect chic style with fabric to smooth over and accentuate the female form. This dress would work well with pretty much any figure. The draped ruching effect will aid in disguising any body concerns. I would accessorise this dress with court shoes and a simple clutch in gold and for extra va-va voom I would add a bold red lip.

Floor Length



Again I actually prefer this style to Kim's. I think the squared off bust line doesn't detract you from the cascading material falling around the shoulder. To accentuate the shoulder even more I would add a silver diamante broach such as a snowflake and a simple silver diamante bracelet to the other arm. A silver satin clutch and silver strappy heels that reveal perfectly polished toes as you walk would complete the look.



I dare any woman to try and not look sexy in this dress. Impossible! The mesh inserts add to the glamour puss styling. Long sparkly earrings, sparkly nails, deep red matte lips and a beauty mole are all that's needed for a movie star entrance. No need for a jacket, just wear the guys that's just handed you his number ;)

So that's my picks for party season from Goddiva. Be sure to check out these and more celebrity inspired Christmas and New Year party dresses on their website.

Let me know if you like any of my picks or others from the Goddiva website in the comments below.



Love to you all