Ciara Sims

*They're Real! Mascara (£19.50). This stuff is amazing. It lengthens, curls and adds volume to the lashes without clumping or smudging. It's really easy to use, the brush gets hold of each lash and it has a domed tip which is really handy for fanning out the eyelashes on the outside corner. Even though this is a small bottle, I think it is going to last me ages as there is no need for loads of applications, just a couple of wiggles and you're done. I don't often get excited over mascaras but I am loving this one.

*They're Real! Push-Up Liner (£18.50). I have read so many reviews on this liner it is not even funny. It seems to promise just about everything from being the blackest and easiest to use eyeliner out there to it having magical properties that will make your eyes bigger. I didn't run out and buy it because of fear of it all being just hype. I received a free sample from an Elle magazine and I absolutely hated it. (However, I just put this down to the sample being so ridiculously small and fiddly that I kept dropping it). But, even with this bigger sized version of *They're Real! Push-Up Liner, I just can't seem to manage to use it. I find it really annoying. You twist the bottom to release the gel eyeliner out of the slanted nib, but it just comes out all wrong and flakes off when you try to apply it. Yes it is very pigmented and when you do manage to apply it, it doesn't smudge and lasts all night, but it is extremely difficult to remove and I end up with faded black lines all over my eyelids for the next 3 days. Sorry Benefit, I'm really not loving this one.

*Hoola Bronzer (£23.50). I don't usually wear bronzer as they are usually a bit too orange for me but I think *Hoola has managed to convert me. It is a really natural colour that can be used all year round as an all over 'tan' or to contour. It is completely matte but it doesn't look flat on the skin and it isn't too harsh so you can build it up gently. In this set you don't get the brush that *Hoola normally comes with but you can apply it with any blusher or bronzer brush. At the moment I love using it with my Eco Tools Retractable Kabuki Brush (£12.99) which I think I will probably do a review of eventually.

*The POREfessional Primer (£24.50). This was the first primer I ever tried and I absolutely love it. I have even converted my mum to it! It minimizes the appearance of pores and leaves skin feeling so smooth. It's a balm but when applied feels almost like a powder, it is also translucent, oil free and contains a vitamin E derivative to protect the skin. You can apply it over and under makeup although personally I have never tried applying it over the top of my makeup. This primer is just absolutely lovely and makes applying any base a breeze.

*Benetint Lip and Cheek Tint (£24.50). This Rose tinted stain is super super pretty. I haven't yet tried it as a blush as it scares me a bit, but the time will come and when it does I think it will create a really pretty flush. As a lip stain, personally I think it is a bit too liquidy, but it does create a really sheer but nice lip stain that isn't drying and lasts for ages.

*High Beam Liquid Highlighter (£19.50). This is a really pretty, feminine, satiny pink liquid highlighter. I think this will compliment nearly all skin tones as it blends easily and really adds a radiant glow. I love putting a couple dots onto my cheekbones and then blending, it really helps to lift the whole makeup look and is perfect for day and night.

*Boi-ing Concealer in shades 01 and 02 (£17.50). This stuff covers everything without creasing or fading through the day. Using your finger tips just pat *Boi-ing over whatever you want to cover and you are good to go. It is quite creamy and really easy to blend. I use shade 01 which is perfect for me, shade 02 is much to dark. Benefit offer 5 shades so you should be able to find one that works for you.

Swatches from left to right: *Boi-ing 01, 02, *High Beam, *Benetint, *Hoola, *They're Real! Push-Up Liner

What is your favourite Benefit product? Let me know in the comments.

Ciara x

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

Well it's no secret that I have a little obsession with Lush. So when I got the beautiful Lush Merry Christmas Gift Box  (£19.95) for Christmas, I was so excited. Even just that beautiful ribbon excited me and I continued to wear it in my hair all day.

The Merry Christmas Gift Box contains 5 festive bath bombs/bubble bars. I was so happy as I haven't had the chance to get to Lush and try out any of there Christmas offerings this year as I've been so busy buying for other people. Karma eh? I haven't had the chance to try any of these out yet so this is more of a first impressions post and I've included links to full reviews so you can see all the bath goodies in action.

Lord Of Misrule:

Christmas Eve:

Father Christmas:

 

Cinders:

Golden Wonder:

I know strictly speaking this is supposed to be an advent calendar but my wonderful mother gifted me the *Ciate Mini Mani Manor (£49) for Christmas and I was absolutely over the moon. I wouldn't have been able to cope with only being allowed to open 1 door a day. No I would much rather open the whole thing and see the wonderful collection all before my very own eyes.

If you manage to get your hands on this wonderful piece of kit, then it really does make the perfect gift at any time of the year for any nail varnish addicts out there. It's also great if you are new to Ciate nail varnishes like myself, as you get a really wide range of colours, some glitter, pearls and nail transfers, so you can try a bit of everything.

I think the packaging is so cute, the little bottles are adorable and Ciate have even put little messages on the inside of the doors for you to read which makes it just feel so personal. The colour range is perfect and there are even some colours in there that I have never seen before or would think to buy for myself. You also get one full size shade that is completely unique to the *Mini Mani Manor!

This is worth every single penny and more. I love it!

What do you think of Ciate nail varnishes?

Ciara x

*This post contains items which were gifted to me. Full disclaimer.

My boyfriend picked me up this cute little bath melt on the way back from his recent trip to Center Parcs. I'd never heard of Bomb Cosmetics before, but this bath melt smelt absolutely gorgeous  and was cute as a button, so I couldn't wait to try it out.

The Bomb Cosmetics Ginger Love Mallow (£2.25) smells amazingly of gingerbread. It's such a comforting scent and one that fits perfectly into this festive season.

When first put into the bath it doesn't really look like anything special. There are no bubbles, not really any fizzing and it sort of turns the bath water murky. However, the room is taken over by the sweet scent and you get out of the bath feeling as soft as a baby's bottom.

The Ginger Love Mallow contains shea and cocoa butter which fills the bath with rich, nourishing, creamy moisturising goodness. It feels really luxurious. However, it does take quite a long time to sink into the skin which is a pain.

Mixed reviews for this little bath melt. What are your experiences with Bomb Cosmetics?

Ciara x

I hope everyone has had a great day and got everything they wished for. I'm not putting this post up to brag in anyway at all, I just thought it would be nice to share with you what I got for Christmas in case any of you where interested.









What did you get for Christmas? I would love to know, so leave me a comment below :)

Ciara x

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you all have a fantastic day and get everything you hoped for. I plan to stuff my face with chocolate and pigs in blankets and watch as many Christmas specials on telly as possible.

What have you got planned?

Ciara x

There are two things that I love most around Christmas, and no they're not the gifts or cheesy Christmas films.They're baking and gingerbread. I thought I would share with you the recipe I always use for gingerbread perfection.

• 350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125g/4½oz butter
• 175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• 4 tbsp golden syrup

Method:

1. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and stick them into a bowl. Add the butter and mix until it all looks like breadcrumbs. Then stir in the sugar.

2. Beat the egg and golden syrup together in a separate little bowl then, add to the big bowl and mix until the mixture clumps together. Tip the dough out, knead quickly until smooth, wrap in cling film and stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

4. Roll the dough out to about 1/2 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Leave your gingerbread on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. When cooled decorate however you would like and get eating!

Get baking and let me know how it goes when you're finished, I'd love to know!

Ciara x

Not all Christmas songs are completely naff, but the best ones are.



Ciara x

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I hope you're all as excited for Christmas as I am! I've been thinking about my Christmas wish list for ages now and I think I finally have it decided so in case you're a little bit stuck with what to ask for, here is my Christmas wish list.

What's on your Christmas wish list this year?

Ciara x

I thought seeing as I'm new to the blogosphere, I would do the Christmas Tag so you lot can get to know me a bit better. I don't know how many versions of this tag are going around so I'm going to be using the questions that Bird's Words used. Okay let's get cracking:

What's your favourite Christmas film/s?

This is an easy one for me. Since I was little I have loved Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. I watch it every single year without fail on Christmas Eve and it just get's me so excited for Christmas. It's definitely not a typical Christmas film. In a nutshell: Jack the skeleton king gets a bit bored of Halloween so he decides that he's going to try his hand at Christmas instead. Needless to say, it all goes a bit wrong and instead of spreading the joy of Christmas, he turns it into a nightmare. I absolutely lurrveee Tim Burton films and think he always adds an interesting spin on everything. I think that The Nightmare Before Christmas is his best film, the animation, storyline and characters are brilliant. Oh and did I mention that it's also a musical?

I also love Love Actually! I think it's a beautifully hilarious film with an all star cast and an amazing sound track. Everything the perfect Christmas film needs if you ask me.

Do you open presents on Christmas morning or evening?

The morning definitely. I am going to cling onto the excitement of waking up early and running downstairs to see if Santa has come for as long as is humanly possible. My stocking is always on the outside of my bedroom door every year so when I wake up I rifle through that and wait for my little brother to come and find me. Then when it has reached an acceptable time we go and sit on the end of my mum and dad's bed and we all go through out stockings. Then it's off downstairs for a cup of tea and presents :)

Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

This is a hard one for me. Umm my family tend to leave things to the last minute, but one year we really almost run out of time. It came to Christmas Eve and we still didn't have a Christmas Tree. Shocking I know. So off we went searching for the perfect little tree to go in the corner of our living room. We couldn't find one anywhere, we went to about 6 different places. Finally we came across the most perfect little tree ever in a garden centre. Everything about this garden centre was so pretty, they even had reindeer for little children to pet and see. It was adorable. When we got the tree home, the trunk was too big for our stand so my dad had to get chopping it until it was the right size. There was bits of bark and pine needles everywhere, we were even finding them the next year. At least it made the house smell wonderful. I don't know why this stands out to me so much. I just saw the whole search as magical and I loving driving around at night when all the pretty lights are out. It just felt so Christmassy.

What's your favourite festive food?

Probably Pigs in Blankets. I used to be a vegetarian and even now I don't eat that much meat really but there was always one thing I always missed and I think it's probably the reason that I'm not a vegetarian anymore. How can you resist those gorgeous little Pigs in Blankets. Yeah they are so greasy and a heart attack in 3 mouthfuls but they are bloody delicious!

I also love gingerbread men and me and my mum often bake and decorate gingerbread cookies to decorate the Christmas Tree with each year. Super cute.

What's been your favourite Christmas gift?

I don't know if this will really count as strictly speaking I didn't get in on Christmas Day. But when I was little, my nanna made me and my brother our own advent calendars. They're so intricate and beautiful and unique to anything else I've ever seen. They have little pouches on them which my mum fills each night with that days chocolaty treat. I love my one so much and I am so thankful to my nanna for taking the time to make it because it is so special to me and nobody else has one and I get so excited when it gets hung up on my door every year :)

What's your favourite Christmas scent?

I love the smell of pine trees. I think they are so fresh yet comforting and they just scream Christmas to me. I also love the smell of cinnamon and all the spices used in Christmas baking. They're so homely and inviting and make me want to wrap up warm and stuff my face. Because that's what Christmas is really all about, am I right??

Do you have a Christmas Eve Tradition?

Umm not exactly because it changes every year, but roughly it's quite similar. My dad is usually out in the kitchen preparing bits and pieces for Christmas dinner the next day and checking that we have everything that we need. He will usually bake some sausage rolls and we all will sit about tucking into them. Usually while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas together. However, we also love to go for a little nosey round our local garden centre. Some people probably wont understand this but I hope there are some of you out there who do. Our garden centre is quite cute, they make a big deal about Christmas so around the festive period it's always packed full of twinkly lights and beautiful baubles. Not to mention the mountains of trees and Christmas themed plants!

What tops your tree?

For as long as I can remember we have had an angel on the top of our tree. When we first bought her, she was the most beautiful angle you have ever seen. She's got a wire base and then a fabric dress and wings and holds a little string with stars on it in her hands. However, as the years have gone by, it has not only been me that has aged. She's fallen off the tree numerous times and he wings are a little bit battered. There's a hole in her dress from where our dog tried to rescue her and she is looking a little bit knackered to say the least. However, we are determined to keep her for as long as possible as Christmas just wouldn't be the same without her.

What do you think is the best part of Christmas?

I love the build up to Christmas more than the actual day itself. I think the build up is so magical and exciting and everything just looks so pretty. I love going Christmas shopping and buying presents for all my family and friends. I also love the way all the houses in my area really make a big deal with Christmas lights and wreaths. The streets just look so pretty. I also love a good song and dance to a Christmas song and I really wish they were acceptable all year round. However, I think my favourite part of Christmas day it's self is my stocking. My mum always fills it with some lovely, some silly and some delicious bits and pieces. She knows me and my brother so well and she always gets our stocking spot on. I don't think I will ever grow up when it comes to festivities and I certainly don't want to.

I don't know anyone yet in the blogging world so I invite you all to do this tag so I can learn about you guys too. Leave me the link below if you do take part, because I would love to read it.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, Ciara x

Save The Children is now on it's third year of doing Christmas Jumper Day. Save the Children are encouraging everybody to wear a Christmas Jumper today and donate a mere £2 for adults and £1 for schools and children. The money you donate will be going towards a fantastic cause. Just £2 could pay for life saving antibiotics to treat three babies with infections and the more money raise, then the more children then can reach. Plus this year the government is going to double all the money raised.

So to get you in the spirit take a look and these gorgeous woolly creations:

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