Top 5 Healthy Christmas Recipes

As a massive foodie I love Christmas! I'm a huge believer in balance but even over the Christmas period I like to remain a bit healthier - because I absolutely love this lifestyle, love the food I eat, it makes me feel so much better than eating refined, sugary foods and the flavours of healthy plant-based foods tend to be so much more delicious and wonderful. It can be tricky to stick to a healthy diet over the festive period - with selection boxes everywhere you go, candied everything, mouth-watering desserts and an array of canapés but these top 5 healthy Christmas recipes are bound to keep your sweet-cravings at bay, your tummy satisfied and your tastebuds tantalised.
 *Remember though, there's no harm in the odd Cadburys celebration chocolate or M&S Mince Pie!*

--- I also thought this would be a great time to tell you that I've started a health blog! Dedicated to delicious plant-based recipes, tips & tricks to stay feeling happy and healthy, exercise advice and lots of other things like that! Head on over to Www.NourishingAmelia.com to check it out!----


1. Mince Pies by Madeleine Shaw
I love a good mince pie, and this is my first Christmas being dairy and gluten free so I was a little worried about how I'd cope without my warm mince pie! I found this recipe from Madeleine on a blog and it's perfect. Sweet, delicate, wonderful perfect and you won't feel sluggish or guilty after eating this Christmas treat. Note - if you don't have time to make your own filling Meridian do a brilliant pre-made vegan and refined sugar free mince pie filling.

Figgy Pudding Candle

I do love a good candle all year round, but there's something especially lovely about them at Christmas. The scents can make you finally instantly festive and the glow of the candle wick burning is comforting & soothing. Every year there's such an array of different candles with so many scents to choose from, I personally love the spicy Christmas scents, or the sweet cinnamony ones as they make me feel the most festive.
The only thing is candles can be very expensive and if you go for a cheaper option they're often not as good quality, the smell is weak or it doesn't last long. Every year I try to hunt down a bargain option with not much luck, but this year I've found one and it's totally dreamy.

The Figgy Pudding Candle by Sainsburys (£4) is one of the nicest smelling Christmas candles I've ever got a whiff of - it's sweet but not sickly with notes of vanilla, fig and cinnamon.
The candle burns really nicely and the aroma is so wonderfully festive and warming. I love that the scent isn't overpowering though as I find some candles are far too intense and end up giving me a headache!
Figgy pudding is encased in a sweet little white pot that has 'Warmest Christmas Wishes' written on the front and a little red & white stripped bow tied around it. It'd make a lovely Christmas gift!

For the bargain price of £4 for a multi-wick that smells this delicious you just have to go and pick one up before they sell out! 

What's your favourite Christmas candle?

x

Christmas Gift Guide - For Her

I love buying Christmas presents for other people, and actually get far more joy going out and choosing gifts for people I care about and seeing them happy when they open them than receiving presents myself. Although it's something I always look forward to it can be easy to get stuck in a rut and not know what to get someone, so I thought I'd give you a little helping hand!
I've complied a list of gift ideas, ranging from major bargains and stocking fillers to more luxury and pricey gifts for a lucky recipient. Whether you find something in this post ideal for a loved one or not I hope it gives you so inspiration, maybe you see something you can add to your own Christmas wish
 list!

Christmas Gift Guide - For Him

Men are definitely harder to buy for than women, fact. Every year I struggle with it, and I know my friends and family do as well. Hopefully this gift guide gives you some inspiration on what to buy your Dad, brother, boyfriend, husband, guy friend, Uncle, Granddad, etc.

Under £10

1. Green & Blacks Dark Miniature Collection (£5.50). Great for chocolate lovers, this collection of mini chocolates contains 6 different flavours from Green & Blacks.
2. World's Hottest Chilli Powders Set (£6). Perfect for a spice fan, this box contains some of the hottest chilli powders tested. It also comes with fun fact cards.
3. New Look Dark Grey Knitted Scarf (£8.99). Nice knitwear is always a safe bet, this scarf looks so cosy and stylish.
4. Grow Your Own Beer Kit (£9.95). A fun gift for a beer lover...see if they can keep it alive!
5. Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Fudge Tin (£9). Delicious fudge flavoured with Tennessee's finest honey-flavoured whiskey, all incased in a nice tin.

Lush Wishlist

Winter is the season I fall in love with baths. On a cold, dark evening there's nothing better than running a hot bath and relaxing. Even though I find going into Lush stores pretty intense, and the strong scent scares me off I do adore their products and they make baths so much more amazing.

Here are some Lush products I've got my eye on -

The Comforter 
This is a bubble bar, you break a bit off under running water and it creates gorgeous bubbles whilst turning the water a nice colour and smelling wonderful. I'm a sucker for berry scents, which this is, and whenever I smell it in the shop it makes me feel all calm and relaxed.

Luxury Lush Pud
This is a bath bomb that makes me feel so festive. The scents are calming and warm with lavender and essential oils. It'll also turn your bath all sorts of pastel colours!

King Of Skin
Sometimes moisturising is a chore, especially when you're in a lazy mood and can't wait for it to sink in. King Of Skin is a body butter that you smooth over wet skin and then wash it off, it'll leave your skin silky smooth and smelling lovely. It's got nourishing ingredients like banana and avocado and exfoliating, soothing ingredients like oats and cocoa butter.

You've Been Mangoed
I adore mango, so obviously this bath melt jumped right out at me! The ingredients are designed to wake up the skin and help you feel nourished and hydrated. There's mango butter, cocoa butter, lemon oil, avocado butter and almond oil…dreamy right!

What's your favourite Lush product?

x

Ultimate Christmas Wish List | 2014

Happy December! The countdown to Christmas has begun. 

It's tradition for bloggers to do Christmas wish list posts, right?! So, here's mine for 2014.

As always I'd like to clarify that I don't expect any of these, it's simply a fun post to do at Christmas time and it might give you a couple of ideas if you're looking to get people gifts, or you may even see something you'd like yourself.

Bag
I quite desperately need a new bag. The one I currently have is one I love, but the zips broken and it's falling to pieces really. I've never bought a Zara bag before, but I know they're brilliant quality and I love the look of this one. But a cheaper, and lovely looking other one is this from H&M.

NARS Sheer Glow 
Have I mentioned this enough? I tried a sample of this foundation in the shade Mont Blanc and I fell in love.

Clarins Exfoliating Toner  
I'm ashamed to admit I don't currently have a toner…and I exfoliate my face less than I should. Every review I've read about this product has been outstanding, and it sounds perfect for me.

YSL Black Opium 
It was love at first sniff. This perfume is gorgeous!

Soap and Glory stuff 
A classic. I've run out of all my Soap & Glory products, I'd love some more of their body butter and body wash…their scrubs are pretty fab too. The 'smoothie' scent is amazing.

Hair Straighteners 
I always curl my hair with a waving wa
nd, but because I have layers I get the inevitable flicks which I have to tame with straighteners. I currently have to steal my sisters….sorry Maddie.

Dressing Gown 
Who doesn't want a snuggly, cosy dressing gown for the cold months?!

Purse 
My current purse has been with me for years…it's a bit battered. Any simple, nice, chunky, quite plain purse with plenty of space for money and masses of cards would be great.

MAC Lipstick - Creme In Your Coffee
I really want a MAC lipstick that's an everyday shade. Creme in your Coffee is a gorgeous pinky brown shade that would be ideal. Who doesn't love a MAC lipstick?!


The Mystery Of Mercy Close 
I always like to get a new book for Christmas, and this one by Marian Keyes is on my wishlist.

Topshop Jumper
I need more snuggly jumpers, and I love the colour of this…surprise, surprise…it's grey.

Yoga Mat 
I took up yoga earlier this year and I've become addicted to it. The benefits are get from doing it are amazing, but I need a mat! A towel doesn't really cut it. They do some good ones at TK MAXX.

What are you hoping will be under your

tree this Christmas?

x

Top 5 Beauty Advent Calendars 2014

I know, I know, it's still October….but November is just around the corner and then it'll be 1st December before we know it! Plus, beauty advent calendars are notorious for selling out insanely fast. So I found what I think are the best 5 beauty advent calendars, take your pick and give yourself a treat every day in December during the lead up to Christmas.

1. The Selfridges Enchanted Spells Advent Calendar - £85
The priciest of the bunch, but full of amazing mini sized products. There's a selection of makeup, skincare and fragrances from high-end brands such as Yves Saint Lauren, Kiehl's, Lancôme, Urban Decay and more.

2. The Body Shop Advent Calendar - £50
I loved the look of The Body Shop's advent calendar last year, and the 2014 one doesn't look like it'll disappoint either. Every day leading up to Christmas you'll get one of their best-selling products, ranging from nail polish, to hand cream, to fragrance, and of course face & body care items.

3. No. 7 Beauty Advent Calendar - £35
Due to the price, and the fact you get 25 mini No. 7 products this one is very tempting, and I can see it being very popular. 2014 is the first year No.7 have brought out an advent calendar, and it looks great. Behind every door there is miniature version of their best products, including eyeliner, lip products, nail polish and more.

4. Benefit Advent Calendar - £60
Probably the most popular of all the beauty advent calendars, and for good reason. Benefit is a great brand, with amazing products. Behind each of the 24 doors you get a mini of their best selling products, that include the bestselling They're Real Mascara, Watt's Up! highlighter, Benetint, Ultra Plush lipgloss and plenty more.

5. Freedom at Topshop Jewellery Advent Calendar - £25
Not strictly a 'beauty' advent calendar, but one I'm sure you'd all be interested in. It's 24 days of getting a piece of Topshop jewellery! There's earrings, bracelets and necklaces in both gold and silver.

Which of these advent calendars takes your fancy?

x

Explaining My Absence And A Little Catch Up

Remember me? It's been a while!

You have or may not have noticed my absence over the last month, but I definitely have missed this site, the people that comment on my posts, and reading everyone else's posts.

The reason why I've been away is that my internet broke (hurrah…). Just before Christmas everything just went wrong at my house, first the Sky box broke so we had no TV over the Christmas period, then our telephone line went, which of course meant the internet went as well. Definitely not an ideal situation, although it did mean I got round to reading a lot of books, which was a joy!

All is okay now… internet has just been fixed, it's still rather slow but it's useable and we'll be getting a new provider very soon which I'm thankful for.

So, what have I missed? I know I've missed all the Christmas posts which I'm gutted about, and sad I didn't get to write mine as well, I was looking forward to it. But all the beauty related things I got for Christmas will be making their way onto my blog in some way I'm sure…whether it's in review form, favourites or 'What's On My Face' form, they'll be here.

As from tomorrow I'm back with beauty posts, but for todays I thought I'd just fill you in on what happened and share with you some of my photos from the last month.

The end of December was filled with DVD watching, reading, eating lots and family time. I love Christmas a lot, it was a busy one this year but I enjoyed it, if I'm honest I still feel like it's Christmas now, I don't want to let go! January has been good so far as well, I went up to London to meet my friend Suzanne who lives in Canada. It was so lovely to see her, we walked around London all day, showed her the sights and took a little trip to Winter Wonderland. 

It was also one of my best friends birthday's the other day so we had a really good night out celebrating that with her…I even wore a dress, shock horror (picture proof below).

I'll leave you with the pictures that sum up my last month..

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas

and New Year

x

BARGAIN ALERT - Soap & Glory Yule Monty Gift Set!

Every year Soap & Glory bring out the best range of gift sets, with prices ranging from brilliantly affordable to a bit more expensive. One of their more expensive gift sets - The Yule Monty Gift Set - is being reduced from £60 to only £27 tomorrow (Friday 13th December)!

This limited edition gift set has 9 full sized Soap & Glory products in it, and is packaged in a beautiful zip up toiltery bag designed by Jonathan Saunders.
The products are -
• Hand Food hand cream
• Sugar Crush body wash
• The Righteous Body Butter
• Peaches and Clean face cleanser
• Heel Genius foot cream
• Butter Yourself lotion
• The Scrub Of Your Life body buffer
• Thick and Fast mascara
• Sexy Mother Pucker XL Lip Plumping Gloss in Pink Out Loud

This would be an ultimate Christmas gift for someone, or treat for yourself! But I imagine they'll sell out VERY quickly as the price is so low for all the products you get.

This deal is EXCLUSIVELY at BOOTS from tomorrow!

Will you be picking 

one up?

x

The Christmas Tag! 2013

December is here! That means we can officially start getting properly excited for Christmas (Although, I've been excited since about August)! To get in the festive spirit I thought I would do the Christmas tag questions!

1. Do you prefer real or synthetic trees?
Definitely real. I've always had real Christmas trees, going to choose one, getting it cut to fit the stand, having the needles fall onto the ground, and the smell all gets me in the Christmas spirit and I love it.

2. You're in a coffee shop in December, what do you pick?
I know everyone's obsessed with pumpkin spice latte but I've never tried it, and don't fancy it at all. So, I'd probably choose a mocha with a shot of peppermint, yummy!

3. What's your favourite colour scheme when decorating the Christmas tree?
I actually don't like it when people stick to one or two colours for the whole tree, I think it looks boring and not very fun. My family still use the decorations me and my sister made in primary school, and other proper decorations. It's all multicoloured, Christmassy and lovely.

4. Giving or receiving?
I of course love receiving presents, having new things to try out and enjoy and I'm always so grateful for them, but I personally prefer giving. I love finding something I know someone will love and seeing the excitement on their face when they open it.

5. To mince pie or not to mince pie?
Ohhh I love a good mince pie, warmed up of course! With some nuts on the side and a little bit of cream.

6. What's your traditional Christmas lunch?
I'm a vegetarian, so no turkey or other meat for me! It changes from year to year, but normally a product from Quorn - maybe their roast. Then roast potatoes (my mum makes the best ones, with garlic, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle), lots of vegetables, a yorkshire pudding and my favourite part, stuffing! With gravy all over. We all sit around our table, Christmassy table cloth on, candles light, serviettes and crackers for everyone!

7. Christmas Day fashion
Sometimes I just wear some cosy Christmassy pyjamas, but I do like to feel dressed up. Last year I wore a nice dress, chunky cardigan and thick tights.

8. What's your favourite Christmas song?
I actually don't like Christmas songs that much, I find them annoying in shops and things. Hmm, but lets go for Santa Clause Is Coming To Town by The Jackson 5 because it's a good one to sing along too, or I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard.

9. What's your favourite Christmas film?
Home Alone! The original is by far the best. I also love watching Elf, and The Holiday as well.

10. Open presents before or after lunch?
After! I think I'm the only one. But it's so much more enjoyable. We normally open a couple before lunch and then the rest afterwards. Also my dad doesn't actually get in from work until about 1pm anyway, so it's nice to have lunch first. It's nice to spread it out a bit and make it something to look forward to.

What's your favourite thing about 

Christmas?

The Palette I've Loved For A Year

I love to change around my make-up, use different products, create different looks, so when a product has been reached for nearly every day for a year it makes it very special. The Stila In The Light eyeshadow palette is one of those products.

I got this palette just under a year ago and I've genuinely used at least 1 of the shades more or less every single day that I've worn makeup in that time. I love it a lot, and as you can see from the pictures I've only hit pan on 1 of the 10 shades which just goes to show how pigmented these little shadows are!

L-R bare, kitten, bliss, sunset, sandstone,
champagne, gilded gold, luster, night sky, ebony

The palette consists of 10 shades, all very wearable, all super pigmented and all are long lasting.
There are 4 matte shades (bare, bliss, sandstone and ebony) and 6 shimmery shades (kitten, sunset, champagne, gilded gold, lustre and night sky). All these eyeshadows are very creamy, soft and easy to blend. It also came with a Stila smudge stick in Damsel (brown) but I've used that up! It was lovely.
What I especially love about this palette is how many different looks you can do with it. You can create a really lovely natural look, and you can also create a very pretty smokey eye, and so many other looks in between. The shades I wear most often would probably be kitten, champagne and sandstone (in the crease and outer corner).

L-R bare, kitten, bliss, sunset, sandstone

L-R champagne, gilded gold, luster, night sky, ebony

The only complaint I have about this palette is the packaging, sure it's very pretty but definitely not practical for carrying around or travelling with. The lid is magnetic, there's no clip or anything, so what I have to do is put a hairband around it to stop it coming open if I have it in a bag.

I'd highly recommend this palette. It would make a brilliant Christmas gift!
It seems to be sold out everywhere but HERE! Purchase it for £25…bargain!

What's your most used eyeshadow palette?

x

Beauty Advent Calendars

December is looming!
If you're more a fan of beauty than you are of chocolate, and want to spend a little bit more on a treat to help you countdown to Christmas then these advent calendars might be for you!

WARNING - SPOILERS

A lot of beauty advent calendars are now out of stock, including the Boots one and the Benefit one. But I found some great alternatives if you're still after one!

YOU

The YOU beauty advent calendar is great value for money, you get over £240 worth of products for £49.95. Products include Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream, Dr Lipp Lip Balm, a Sisley face mask, Stila lip glaze, Trilogy night cream, and more. Buy here.

THE BODY SHOP

I love products from The Body Shop, so this one sounds amazing in my opinion. You get over £80 worth of beauty products for £55! Including shea body butter, strawberry shower gel, almond hand cream, mango body whip, white musk body lotion, chocolate soap, a facial brush, Vitamin E night cream, and more of the Body Shops most popular products. Buy here.

CIATÉ

If nail varnish is more your thing then the Ciaté beauty advent calendar is for you. Ciaté do amazing nail varnishes in beautiful colours. In this calendar you get amazing shades, including 3 paint pot glitter shades you can't buy anywhere else. The contents is worth about £200, but you can get your hands on it all for £42, exclusively here.

Will you be purchasing a beauty advent calendar? 

Or are you sticking to chocolate or the

traditional picture ones?