Oh Snap! Add me on Snapchat

Hi there!

I recently joined snapchat so add me on there- dustyfoxes.

I don't know how to use it very well, but I've been posting a bunch of random things on there. Let me know if you want to see things like behind the scenes of blog posts etc.

Signing off now
Dusty Foxes,

PS:Yes I'm just being lazy about writing up a proper post, but it's Christmas and I'm feeling like chilling out

12 Posts Before Christmas: Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today marks the last post in my 12 posts before Christmas series. I hope you've enjoyed them so far. If you missed any or are new to my blog and want to see what I've been posting about this past 3 and a half weeks, check out the 12 posts before Christmas tag!

I'm really glad I took the time to do this series as it's the first time I made a proper commitment to blogging and I loved doing it! I'll admit that towards the end, I lost a lot of interest in the project as I didn't have time to take the photos I wanted and that made me not want to write posts, but all in all I'm happy to have done it.

I may do more series on my blog if that interests you. So far I've done the 12 posts before Christmas and Sample Sunday last month. I don't think I'll be taking on any more projects just yet as I don't have many ideas at the moment but if you have an idea you'd like me to try out please let me know in the comments below!

I'm returning to my usual schedule of posting at 10 a.m. GMT on Sundays when I've had time to blog, so I'm not sure as of yet what my next post will be on. Check out the sidebar where I have links to follow me on twitter, bloglovin', Google+ and an option to follow by email. Please do follow me if you've liked what you've seen on my blog, it makes me feel really happy to see my follower count go up, but if you don't want to, that's fine. Please leave a comment on how you think I can improve my blog. I'm open to constructive criticism as I want to write content that people can enjoy.

 Anyway, I hope you're having a lovely Christmas Eve or a happy holiday if you don't celebrate Christmas and I hope to hear from you in the comments below!

Signing off now,
Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Christmas Must Haves

Hello!

We're nearing Christmas so I thought I would talk about some of my must have things to make me feel Christmassy!

1. Quality Streets. They are available all year but it's at Christmas that Quality Streets make an appearance in my home. I love the Green ones the best.

2. Costa Black Forest Hot Chocolate. I first got this 2 years ago and every Christmas since it has been my favourite seasonal drink. It doesn't feel like Christmas till I drink my first Black Forest Hot Chocolate

3. Camembert/brie. 2 of my favourite soft cheeses, I only tend to have them at this time of the year. I love warm and gooey cheese melting in my mouth. I'm so hungry thinking about it!

4. Christmas parties. I posted my Christmas party makeup before, but I just love getting dressed up for a party and having fun with my friends (and eating too much food). On Christmas Eve and Christmas day, I tend to chill out and not wear makeup and stay in my pajamas as long as possible, so I enjoy putting more effort pre-Christmas at the parties!

5. Christmas carols! What is Christmas without carols. I love singing even though I'm not very good at it, and it's been a family tradition to sing Christmas carols in the evening. My favourite ones are Joy to the World, O Come All Ye Faithful and O Holy Night.


These are just some of the material things I associate with Christmas. There are a lot more, but these are the top things that immediately make me think - Christmas! Of course there are other things such as deadlines, exams post-Christmas etc, but I don't really like thinking too much about those when I want that "festive feeling".

Let me know what makes you think of Christmas in the comments below! Hope you have a happy holiday and a Merry Christmas!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

12 Posts before Christmas: Zoella Bath Bombinis Review

Hello and welcome to my bathroom!

I recently got the Bath Bombinis from Zoella Beauty so I thought I'd pop up a quick review.

Bath Bombinis are part of the limited edition Christmas Collection and is basically the Fizz bar in a round form and packaged nicely. 

I really like the packaging. It's in a really pretty glass jar that you can keep cotton buds in after you've finished the bath bombinis (or like me take the bath bombinis out and use it for that immediately). I like the rose-gold foil around each one because it looks more luxurious than just paper packaging. I will warn that under the foil there is a plastic layer which has some rose speckled into the plastic. I didn't realise that at first and wondered why my bath wasn't fizzing.

The product is scented with Zoella's original line's scent, which honestly I'm not the biggest fan of. It's quite a powdery scent to me and it's not really my kind of smell. I use 2 of the bath bombinis at the same time because I think one doesn't quite give the same feeling. It makes the water quite smooth and obviously scented but it's quite pleasant if you like the scent.

I think the packaging is the best part of the product and I would not be rushing out to try more of the Fizz bars. I will just say that I'm not the most fond of baths and not a fan of the scent, so that could be why I'm not too keen on the product.

Let me know what you think if you've tried this or what your favourite bath products are in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Skincare Routine

Hello!

We're so close to Christmas! I can't believe it's so soon. Today I will be sharing my favourite skincare bits. Since skincare is specific to the person, what works for me may not work for you, but these are my current favourite items.

Cleanser:

I am loving the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil for taking off my makeup at the moment. It just dissolves it and leaves my skin feeling cleansed but moisturised. I use a muslin cloth to take it off as I find my face feels a bit oily if I just wash it off. In the morning I use Etude House Baking Powder Pore Cleansing Foam. I like that it's refreshing and leaves my skin feeling clean and ready for the day, but I think once I'm done with it I'll be looking to find a new product that's more easily available in the UK.

Toner:
I use the Etude House Wonder Pore Freshener morning and evening. I really like this because I find it helps clear my skin and I found my skin improved after using it. The cotton pads that came with this are brilliant as well.

Serum:

I've been using the Clarins Pore Minimising Serum for about 2 years now and I love it. I am quite self concious about my pores so I like putting this on every morning because I do think there is an effect. I use one pump in the morning and focus it on areas where I have more pores.  I've repurchased this so if that doesn't tell you how much I enjoy it, I don't know what will.

Eye cream:
I use 2 from Simple. I use the Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll On every morning as I like the cooling effect as it helps me wake up. In the evening, I use the Regeneration Age Resisting Eye Cream. I don't think I really need age resisting products just yet, but this has a very smooth and light texture, so I really like it. I've been using the Eye Roll On for about 3 years now and repurchased whenever it's been finished, but I've only used the Age Resisting one for about 5 months so I'm still unsure if I'll repurchase.

Moisturiser:
This is new to my routine but it has become such a staple. I raved about the L'Occitane Pivone Sublime Perfecting Creme in my Sample Sunday last month and I've recently moved on to a full size of it.I reviewed it here, so you can check it out in more detail if you like, but basically it helps my skin stay moisturised but doesn't add to oiliness and since I've been using it, I've had better skin than the past half year. I actually switched to a different one for a couple of days since I wanted to finish it before moving onto the full size of this and my spots came back. In summary, I love this stuff.


Exfoliator:
I use the Tea Tree Exfoliating Scrub about twice a week and I really enjoy it. Tea tree oil is one of those at home remedies for spots and I have tried it and it did help a lot so I knew my skin worked well with tea tree oil. I decided to try this scrub as it looked good and smelt nice and I think my skin works well with it. It feels really nice and my skin feels lovely after.


Masks:
I use a variety of masks, but I don't consider them as part of my routine as I always tend to forget to use them. I like the Superdrug line of face masks (I get the 99p ones)  or the Montagne Jeunesse peel off ones.


So there's my skincare routine of the moment. Obviously there are products I adore, but there are some I want to switch up once I'm done so leave me your favourite skincare products in the comments below. I'd love to try something new!

Signing off now
Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Holiday Eating Tips!

Hey!

So, the holidays are drawing near and I don't know about you, but I tend to massively overeat during the holiday season. Mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, mince pies, Christmas pudding, Quality Streets....... Yum!

To help me cut down on the feelings of discomfort after having a huge meal, I've complied a list of tips I'm going to be trying to keep in mind this holiday.

1. Take smaller portions. Even though you may be starving and want 10 pieces of turkey, take a smaller amount like 2 slices to begin with. It's better to take less and go back for more rather than taking too much and feeling obligated to stuff yourself.

2. Eat slower. This depends on who you're eating with, but if you're chatting and eating at the same time, you're more likely to overeat as you're not processing that you're full. Also, it's just more polite not to speak with your mouth full.

3.Don't feel pressured to take seconds. Or as above, take small portions to accommodate for seconds. If you know that one family member who will pressure you to take seconds, be prepared for that and adjust accordingly. If you're really too full and don't want to eat anymore, say you're taking a break for now and will come back for it later. People will probably forget to ask you to eat it after a while and you don't have to deal with the "are you on a diet? But it's Christmas" comments.

4. If it's a buffet style, don't try to take some of everything as you'll probably end up with too much. At least that's how I tend to take foods. It's better to take the stuff you know you want and you know you will eat as opposed to taking things because you're in line and it's in front of you.

5. Enjoy yourself. After all it's the holidays and that slight discomfort after dinner is rather pleasant sometimes!


Let me know what food you're most excited for this holiday in the comments below!

Signing off now,
Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Christmas Dinner Party Makeup

Hello!

Christmas dinners are quite common events, and as I'm a uni student, society dinners and dinners with friends have made my evening makeup routine become a lot more standard and this is my go-to look for a nice dinner.

For the face, I use whatever foundation I feel like at the time, usually I go with the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Powder Foundation because I like the high coverage and I like the fact it is a powder as I feel it helps a bit with the oil. I love contouring and highlighting so on my cheeks I use the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, and Bare Minerals Ready Blush in the shade the Whisper which I can no longer find online. I find that this trio works really nicely together to give a really pretty look. The blush is understated enough to not look too bright and the highlight is just gorgeous and reflective.

For lips, I know that a red lip is considered the Christmas classic, but at a dinner, I don't want to be faffing around with re-applying or worrying about my lipline, so I go with a classic nude. This year I've been loving Clinique Nude Pop which I got a sample of in last month's Glamour magazine, but my go-to option last year was shade 08 from the Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish line. Occasionally I also pop Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner in East End Snob underneath to help it last longer.

Since I go relatively easy on the face, the eyes are really the focus. If I have time before the dinner, I try and get my brows threaded to get the shape really nice, then I fill it in with the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown. Then I use my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion or the Helen E Stage eyeshadow primer. For the shadows my go-to is my Urban Decay quad that I put together myself. Not all the shades are available in the permanent line though. I use the shade Melt all over my lid, then Buck in the crease with Snakebite deepening the outer corner. I use the shade Minor Sin or my theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer for an inner corner and browbone highlight. 

I love a good liquid liner and my pick is the Kanebo Kate Super Sharp Liquid Liner as I find the fine brush nib very easy to use. However, the Amazon link I've added is a over-priced in my opinion and it's hard to get the product here in the UK. An alternative which I've only tried once and therefore cannot say if it's as good is the L'Oreal Superliner So Couture. It's a similar brush nib. In the waterline, I love the Rimmel Scandeleyes Waterproof Eye Liner in Nude on the bottom and the black on the top.

Final step in my routine is eyelashes. I use Benefit's They're Real Mascara on my top lashes and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara on the bottom lashes. I love these together for making my eyelashes look longer and more volumised, though the Benefit mascara does clump.

I know this routine may seem quite natural for some people and honestly it's just an amped up version of my daytime look, but I find that a lot of the time, my friends don't really wear makeup and I'd rather not be the only one with a smokey eye and glitter everywhere. Also, for a dinner, I feel understated makeup is a bit more suitable, but it's up to you what you decide to wear!

Let me know what your go-to makeup look for a Christmas party/dinner is in the comments below!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Christmas Nails

Hey!

I love this nail combo and it's what I'm planning to use for Christmas this year. It doesn't last the longest, but it's so pretty.

I start with base coat, followed by China Glaze Temptation Carnation. Then I layer up with Barry M Gold Dust, which was from 2013's Christmas collection and is no longer available, but it looks like Essie's Luxe Effects Tassle Shaker is a similar effect but with copper strands as well as the gold. Then I seal it with my favourite Seche Vite fast drying top coat.

This is my favourite nail combo for this season. Hopefully this gives you an idea for Christmas nails!

Let me know which polishes you'll be rocking this Christmas in the comments below!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Dear Santa

Hello!

Since I've posted my gift guides, I thought I would post my wishlist to Santa. To be honest, most of these I am not expecting for Christmas as they are extremely expensive, but hey, that's the fun of window shopping!


Dear Santa,
This year, I would like the following things for Christmas.

1. Jack Wills Walderton Slipper Socks
2. Frends Layla Gunmetal headphones
3. Soigne Deluxe Box Set
4. Chronicles of Narnia Boxset
5. Charlotte Tilbury The Icon Boxset
6. Burberry Hooded Trench Coat with Warmer

While you're at it, I would also like my bank account to fill up every time I buy something and for my rent and fees to be paid for the next 3 years; a magic purse like Hermione so I don't have to keep carrying a million bags when I do my shop for the week; a magic wand and my letter to Hogwarts; to eat and never gain weight; a first class degree with my name on it, and a new laptop.

Failing that, I would like world peace, and a merry Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday for everyone.

Thank you.

12 Posts Before Christmas: Gifts for a higher Budget Over £25

Hello!

Last of the gift guides this year, I think this higher end selection is really nice and would make the most amazing presents to open on Christmas day. Some of these are more expensive, but I do have lower budget presents in my previous gift guides, so check those out!

As with the other 2, I have personally tried these gifts and honestly recommend them. I've tried to include a differing selection for the various people in your life, but I feel like higher end stuff I own tends to be makeup/beauty related or very very much over budget, so sorry if it's a bit beauty-focused. As usual, I've tried to include as many links as I could.

Let's get into it!

Makeup:
Urban Decay Naked Palette original , 2, or 3- The Naked palettes are pretty much the most famous/popular palettes within my friendship group. Even my friends who aren't that into YouTube or bloggers know of/want the naked palettes. I personally do not have the Smoky one as I have a lot of makeup and rarely wear smokey eyes so I skipped that one, but I honestly love the original, 2 and 3. I would recommend the original or 2 for someone who is starting to get more into eyeshadows and wants to have a nice selection of neutrals. The naked 3 I recommend for someone who is more experienced with eyeshadow and likes the romantic pink/rose eye look. I feel like this is a good present, because it is such a hyped product and honestly, I really enjoy using them!


Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette - I have the original one and honestly, this was the first high end product I purchased. This is a really good one for someone who loves chocolate and eyeshadow and likes to have a good selection of nudes and a few choices for subtle colour. Really nice textures and it's a great palette to have as a stand alone due to the variation of mattes/shimmers.

Zoeva Makeup Brushes- I got a massive set of these previously hauled on my blog. To date, my posts about the Zoeva brushes are my most viewed posts and honestly, I use at least one Zoeva brush every time I do my makeup. They are soft, but still apply makeup well and they don't shed. I love my Zoeva brushes and I want more! I know that the set I got is rather expensive, but they do smaller sets as well. They are a bit pricey, but they are a great investment and a perfect gift for someone who enjoys the process of putting on makeup.


Skincare/body care:
L'Occitane Delicious Almond Collection- The Almond Shower oil is by far my favourite shower item ever. It's the most wonderful thing. You squirt a little bit out and it emulsifies into a lovely, smooth, nourishing white liquid and a little goes a long way. The scent is quite rich and warm and I love it paired with the light almond milk concentrate included in the kit. The body oil included is quite nice, but I haven't used it that much as I only recently got the kit. The hand cream is one of my personal favourites. The only thing I haven't used is the bar soap because I don't really use bar soaps so I cannot comment on it, but honestly, the kit is so worth the money and it comes very nicely packaged in the gift box. I would love to receive this on Christmas day because the shower oil is that luxurious!

Candle set- I got this Lily Flame candle set from Fenwicks and I really like the little tins. They feel quite nice with the embossing and they smell lovely. I particularly like Lavender + Lime to relax before bed. They are under £25, but I forgot to include them in the previous gift guide as I thought they were more expensive. I think these would be lovely to gift to someone for Christmas as they are quite nice around this time of the year, but also would be nice to have at other times of the year.

Clothing:
Brandy Melville Kassidy Hoodie- Not going to lie, I am wearing mine at the very moment I am typing this and I did not just put it on to say that. I personally don't think Brandy Melville as a brand is that great due to the fact that everything is one size only, but this hoodie is lovely. It's soft and comfortable and I wear it far too much. This is one of my staple clothing items throughout the year and it's so easy to throw on over most outfits. I do feel it's quite an expensive item as it's just a basic hoodie, but it was money well spent for me as I wear it so often. Also, apparently they ship now! Last year when I got my hoodie I went to London and got hopelessly lost for an hour looking for the store. (but that's mainly because I am quite directionally challenged)

Tech:
Micro Nail and Nails Inc set- This is quite a nice gift set for someone who loves doing their nails. I actually stumbled across this at Boots just last week and I had to get it! It includes 2 of the Nails Inc Gel Effect Polishes in a pink and a red as well as their Superfood Kale base coat, which my boyfriend thought was an "alien green" nail polish. But the tech part comes in with the Micro Nail Elegance Nail buffer, which is basically an electronic buffer for your nails, in case you're too lazy to buff your nails with a 4-way buffer block. Personally, it's not a must-have, but for a Christmas present, it is probably the best kind of gift. It's something that is just a bit of fun and is a nice gift. I personally think it's also good deal because a single Nails Inc polish costs £15, and the Micro Nail itself cost £29.99 full price!


I hope this gave you some ideas for presents or to ask for them as presents! Let me know what other things you think should have been on my gift guides in the comments below. I would love to hear your recommendations as I do my Christmas shopping!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

12 Posts before Christmas: Gift ideas under £25

Hello!

Hope the week is going well, moving up from the last post, here are some gifts for a higher budget, but still under £25. As I mentioned in that post, these are all products I have personally tried and loved so I really recommend them! As in the last post, I've tried to include ideas for various people in your life, so hopefully you can find an idea in here! I've also included clickable links for easy shopping!

Makeup:
As I mentioned in my stocking stuffer and secret santa idea post I love eyeshadow palettes so I had to include 3 of my favourite ones that fit in this category!

Soap and Glory Perfect 10 palette- limited edition and different from the one last year, this one is more rosy toned and full of really nice Christmas colours like Damsel which is the 6th colour in the palette. It is out of stock online, but you can check store availability through the link. Really good for someone who likes pinks such as the Naked 3. The quality of the shadows is lovely as well and for £16, I think it makes a lovely gift.

No 7 Ultimate Eye Palette- I got this as well as the smaller £10 palette but honestly, that one had so much glitter I decided not to recommend it in my other gift guide. This one however is £20 and has 20 shades of nice quality shadows. There are a few glittery shades in the palette, but I had less fallout than the other palette. It contains 4 rows and I like that the rows seem to have a theme for each one. The top row is pink toned, the second neutral brown toned, the third grey toned, and to be fair, the last one is not that clear as to what it is, but has a lovely copper shade, so I'll let it pass. The palette also comes with a large mirror and so I think it would be perfect for someone who wants to expand their eyeshadow collection.

Neve Cosmetics Elegantissimi Eye palette- If you know a girl (or guy, I don't judge) who loves really nice neutral shades for everyday wear and likes to have some darker browns as well, then this is the palette for them. This palette is stunning. For the price of £21.95, you get 30 g of eye shadow, a refillable palette and well, nothing much else, but I think it's worth every cent. The shadows are incredibly pigmented and buttery, I mean all the recommendations above also have great texture and pigmentation, but this one just blew my mind. Just a tiny touch and bam! pigment! Really smooth, the mattes are great, the shimmers are great and is all around a great palette. Have I said great enough yet this explanation? I'm not sure. Great. If that wasn't enough, the palette is vegan so if that's something you were looking for, then this palette is great. (I just had to get another in) I would say, just because of how intense some of these shadows are, you toss in an eyeshadow primer so they don't stain their lids, and it's not the best palette for a beginner.



Or put together...
Nail polish sets- see some of my top nail picks from last winter! I would recommend getting a little box , fill it with some really nice shades, add a top coat and a base coat and that's a lovely gift! (add ribbon to minimise wrapping)

Skin/body care
Body Shop Body Butter/ gift set- The Body Shop are my go-to shop for nice Christmas gifts! I love the sets they do with the tiny minis and their body butters are one of my favourite things! I love the vineyard peach scent and the Chamomile Cleansing Oil is great as well! I just went on their site and they have a gift finder where you select the gender, who is it for, what they would like (eg skincare or bodycare) and how much you would like to spend. Lovely. Check it out here. Also, their charity this year is WaterAid!

Or... put together
Lush set- The things in Lush aren't very expensive individually, by which I mean most things are around £3-5. So I think a nice present would be to put some of these together and make a nice present like the nail polish gift. Throw in a mix of Christmas items and regular line items and there's a lovely smelling present for someone who likes baths. Or if that's too much work, they have gift sets as well. This one looks nice, but I haven't personally tried everything in the box so I can't recommend it personally.



Clothing:
Jack Wills Dashwood Mittens- OK, this is the Jack Wills Outlet Store, and these were the mittens from last years line, but honestly, these are amazing. I got them for Christmas last year and I can honestly say that I used them a lot during winter. Also, because it's the outlet store, it's cheaper at £16. Still super cute and comfy, I recommend this for anyone who has cold hands, and don't lose their mittens easily


Tech/accessories:
Keep Cup- OK, I just discovered these and I want so many different colours. An Australian brand, the Keep Cup is basically the perfect gift for someone who loves their hot beverages and likes customisable gifts.They are also environmentally friendly! Get either one of the basic ones or go fancy and get the glass ones. Also, if you're ordering and are worried about the time needed to ship, go for a gift voucher. It'll allow them to design their own.


Personal planner- I love planners and the personal planner is amazing. I haven't started using mine as I got it for next year, but I love the customisable options. This is great for a fan of stationary and customisable options. I would get the gift card and place it with a few other bits like colour pens and washi tape. I love that you can key in all the important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries and that they will be carried forward to the next year. I also like little details in mine like a reminder to get a new planner, UK holidays, and little icons for other days of note. It has gotten more expensive since I ordered mine, but I think it's still a really good option for all the customisable options.


Let me know what you think of my gift guide and which presents you're thinking about getting in the comments below! If you're worried about "giving the game away" to someone who may see the comment, choose the email area and choose comment as a guest because I would love to see what you guys are gifting people this Christmas!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas: Stocking Stuffer/ Secret Santa ideas- under £15

Hello!

I decided to kick things off with some gift guides sorted by price. I've tried to come up with ideas from the things I already own in order to really suggest something that would be liked by the person you're buying for and who knows, maybe some of this stuff can be put on your wishlist! Personally I would love to have received any of these if I didn't own them already.

Today is going to be presents under £15 and I've split it into two categories - stocking stuffer and secret santa presents.Within that, I have some makeup ideas, skincare/body care ideas, clothing/accessories ideas and a tech idea. Plus, I've tried to link as many things as possible!

Stocking Stuffers:

Makeup:
Topshop Mini Lip Bullet Pyramid- Get Me Bodied - This is a really good size to try out a deep coloured lippy and it's already nicely packaged. There are also other colours on the site if you want a different colour

StarGazer Hair Chalk -Violet - This is a fun way to get some colour in your hair for the holiday season. I've only tried Violet so far, but it actually does show up on my dark hair and was easy enough to use. Perfect for someone who wants to play with coloured hair without the commitment- or the bleach!


skincare/body:
L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream- I love this stuff to keep my hands moisturised for the winter. Get the set if you're getting presents for more people and split them up!

clothing:
Next Woodland Animal socks- Socks are such a typical present for guys, but these ones from Next are super cute and at £8 for 4 pairs they make great stocking stuffers. Personally I would split them up though and give a pair to different people as 4 pairs of socks may be a bit too much for some people!

Movie inspired jewellery- I had to include this because I actually received this for Christmas last year, but I can't find an exact link for it. Just search on Amazon and there are a wide range of options from Lord of the Rings to the Vampire Diaries. Personally, it's not very good quality, but it's fine for a stocking stuffer and perfect for a fan of whatever series. I would just like to point out that some of these do ship from China or really far, so if you want to be sure to get it by Christmas, remember to check the delivery estimate before clicking "buy".

tech:
power bank- This is probably the most practical thing in all my gift guides this year because of the digital age and all that. I don't personally own the exact one I've linked, but I got it for my boyfriend and he loves it.

Secret Santa:
Makeup:
Makeup Revolution girls on film- LOVE this palette. I love eyeshadow and I think it's the easiest thing to gift some one as you don't need to know their exact colour match like foundation. This one from Makeup Revolution has a really nice colour selection and it's affordable too! Personally, for Secret Santa, I think I would get a few other bits (maybe from the stocking stuffer guide above) to bulk it up a bit depending on your price range.

skincare/body:
Soap & Glory Gift Set- Soap and Glory do amazing gift sets, so really, any of them would be great presents. In fact, I was hard pressed not to put more Soap and Glory in these gift guides. My pick this year was the Once Upon a Lime set, which has some of the Sugar Crush scented products and a body polisher. Sugar Crush is my favourite set, but if you think it's too sweet, they have a number of other scents.

Clothing:
Scarf- I like scarves for winter because they keep you warm. I don't have a link to my exact one, but I really like the infinity scarf/snood design because you don't need to worry too much about how to style it.

tech:
colour changing mug- Basically, it's a black mug until you pour a hot drink in it and then the design is revealed! I love the idea of this, especially if you and the person you're buying for have an inside joke. I previously got one from moonpigs and there are great personalisation options. Make sure to click to "heat and reveal" for the colour change effect!



So those are my gift ideas! Let me know if you're going to pick up any of these for Christmas presents (or even a present for yourself..)! Also, let me know what you would get for a secret santa present or a stocking stuffer!

Make sure you follow me for the next gift guide and I'm posting every other day until Christmas!

Signing off now,
Dusty Foxes

12 Posts Before Christmas! A new series on Dusty Foxes Beauty

Hello!

I loved doing the Sample Sunday series on my blog for November so I thought I'd do another for December! Also, as a challenge to myself, I'll be posting every other day at 10 a.m. this month until Christmas, which is 12 posts! As I normally only post on Sundays, I've been doing 4-5 posts a month when I've been blogging regularly, so this is insane for me.

This is post 1 of the series and I figured that I would start off easy and just do a post about this series. So I'll be posting another post the day after tomorrow so and so on until Christmas Eve. So make sure you're following my blog to get all the updates! (see side bar for links)

This upcoming month I'll be posting Christmas gift guides, wishlists, must haves, makeup ideas and so on. I'm super excited about it and I hope you are too!

Let me know what posts you would like me to do before Christmas and whether you're excited for Christmas as much as I am in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: Benefit They're Real Push up Liner

Hello!

It's the last Sunday of November which means this is the last Sample Sunday of the month! I've really enjoyed this series and I may do more in future. Let me know if you would like that. 

Next month I'll be doing a new series called "12 Posts before Christmas" and I'll be posting every other day! I've never done this before so wish me luck in getting all the posts up! 

But you'll see a post on that soon (the next couple of days) so let's get on with today's review! Today I'm reviewing this sample of the Benefit's They're Real! push-up liner. I got this a while back and actually did use it when I first got it (that's when I took the pictures) and I actually wrote out the review, I just never shared it. 

The colour I got was black and as you can see from the swatches, they are black. The formula is quite a smooth one, though I did find it dragged a little on the lid. You also have to be careful not to disperse too much of the liner at once because that could cause the liner to smudge everywhere. Since I was using a sample, I had to physically push the gel up, which meant that I could control it very easily, I have seen the actual packaging for the full size, and the fact that it's less controlled is a worry for me.

I wear black eyeliner almost every day that I wear makeup, so I have had a lot of practice with eyeliner.

Sorry for the slightly blurry pictures of my eye, it's really hard to do! I like the way the applicator applied the liner. It is slightly thicker than I would usually do it, but I found it was easy enough to use. Again, I wear liner a lot, so that may have been a factor as I have seen reviews where people found it more difficult. I would say that if you tend to go over the line quite a lot this isn't that great. Also, if you like a really thin line, I would not recommend as the applicator tip isn't that fine. 

As I have double eyelids (the fold that you can see in the pictures), the liner does not smudge into the fold, which is great. The eyeliner does last for a long time which makes it a little hard to remove. 

Personally, I would not purchase this product at full price. I think it's a bit expensive and I find it a bit fiddly to use. Again, I have the worry about getting it to disperse the amount of product I find works for me in the full size. However, if I saw it on sale for half price, or if it was in a set, I would use it on weekends when I don't mind thicker liner. Also, I've tried dipping the applicator into a normal gel liner and it works to give the same shape, though it is less easy to use. So if you just really like the way the applicator works, you may want to try that.

Let me know if you like this product and what your favourite liners are in the comments below!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: Garnier Oil Infused Moisturising Lotion

Hello!

Sorry for the lousy pictures. I took these in a hurry and didn't realise they weren't that great.

Today is going to be a short review as I don't really have a lot to say about this product (for once), so let's get into it!

The texture of this lotion is quite light. I tend to use body butters on a day to day basis so I found it quite liquid compared to what I am used to. 

The scent is pleasant. I don't know what exactly it smells like, but it's not a strong scent and it's quite a warm scent, if that makes sense.

I found the lotion to sink into the skin really quickly and nicely and it left my skin feeling moisturised, but maybe not as smooth as I am used to. However, it didn't leave a film on my skin, which I really liked. 

Personally, I think that this is a good product from Garnier and if I wasn't so into body butters, I would probably have purchased it. I may keep this in mind for summer months when I want something lighter as it is moisturising and absorbs quickly.

Let me know if you've tried this and what your favourite lotions are in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

Hello, hope you're having a lovely Sunday. Today for Sample Sunday, I'll be reviewing the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer.

I got this sample from a MAC store recently and they gave me this little pot of concealer to test out before deciding to buy. I did ask for it as I had previously had  MAC Face and Body applied on me and it had made my skin itch. I was matched to NC20 for a highlighting under eye colour, but I don't know my actual colour in the MAC system.

The makeup artist was quite generous and gave me 3-4 pumps of the concealer. As you may be able to tell from the swatch, it is quite light on my skin and is quite heavy coverage.

The texture is suprisingly creamy. It looks quite liquid in the pot, but has a thicker feeling, while still feeling quite smooth.

I cannot use this particular shade on blemishes, but I have been trying it out under my eyes. I found that this particular shade on me does give the hightlighted effect, which I quite like sometimes. I also like that it has good coverage as I have quite bad under eye bags. I dab a bit on with my fingers then blend it out with a damp beauty blender (because I've been loving this lately) and it gives a really smooth look to my under eye area. 

I do find that this product does sink into the little creases I have throughout the day, which is a bit annoying, but I really like the coverage it gives. I think I may purchase the full size of this, but I have other concealers to work through first and I'm still skeptical about it. 

Have you tried this concealer before? What is your holy grail concealer? Let me know in the comments below!

Signing off now

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream

Hello! 

Welcome back to this month's feature: Sample Sunday! Today I'll be reviewing L'Occitane Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream. I got this sample after doing a quiz I found on British Beauty Blogger's site, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be running anymore. Basically I just did a quick quiz on my skin and my skin concerns and they recommended the Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream. Then I made a quick stop to the L'occitane store and picked up this rather generous 8ml sample. I've been using it for about 3 weeks now so I decided it was time for a review.

Before we get into it, I thought I would mention that I have combination skin. I have normal skin everywhere but my T-zone which gets quite oily, but also sometimes gets dry. Also, my skincare concerns include dullness and pores. So bear that in mind when considering this review as everyone's skin is different and of course will need different products.

 As I mentioned earlier, the sample was a generous 8ml, which they said was a week's worth of product. I've used it for about 2 and a half weeks day and night and I still have a bit left, so it's not too bad.

It came in a tiny plastic pot that looks very similar to the full size product (which is in a glass jar). I personally really like it and I think I will keep the pot even after I am done with it as it would be a good way to decant product when travelling... that and I am a hoarder.

The product is a very light pink colour with quite a floral scent. I assume that it smells of peonies as the line is the peony line but as I am quite bad at identifying scents I cannot confirm that. I have to admit, the smell does linger for quite a while depending on how much of the moisturiser you use so if that is an issue for you, then this product isn't for you.

The texture is very light and cooling and it sinks into the skin quite quickly. As I have a problem with oiliness, this product does not add to the feeling at all, and in fact, since using this, I have seen a slight improvement of the oil. It leaves my skin feeling very hydrated and soft, and my skin has been looking brighter and smoother. It has been the only thing that I have changed in my skincare routine, so I definitely think it's been making a difference.

The full size product is 50 ml and costs £32. However, when I got the sample I was given a £10 off voucher which also had a discount code for £10 off online which is SKINCARE and is valid until the 15th of November 2015.

I must admit, I have already purchased a full size as it has really benefited my skin. I think this product is great and though it is quite pricey, I think it is worth it (especially with the £10 off).

If you're interested in L'Occitane's skincare, I would suggest going into store and talking to some of the workers. The one I spoke to in my local store was so helpful and super nice. She let me test the product even though I was going in for my sample and double checked with me what my skincare concerns were just to make sure I was getting the right sample.

I definitely will be looking more into L'Occitane's skincare range as I wasn't even aware of it until I tried this.

What moisturisers do you think are worth every penny? Let me know in the comments below!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

Sample Sunday: Diorskin Star Foundation Review

Hello!

So I've decided that for the month of November, I will be running a new series called Sample Sunday where I review samples I have! I got a bunch of samples previously and I thought it was time to use them up and while I am at it, why not review them! So for the 5 Sundays in this month, I will be posting a review of different samples,,,,

Today to kick things off is this sample of the Diorskin Star Foundation. I got this sample when it was first released last year and they gave a week of samples. I used it a few times and actually saved one for the purpose of review, then I forgot about it. Luckily, I did type up a few notes on it and that is why I can review it! 

The sample came in 5 sachets and I have to say, the samples were quite generous and I didn't use a sachet per application. More like a third?

I tried it with a brush and hated the finish. I used my usual application method, which is the Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but I found the finish too thick and heavy feeling. 

I then tried it with a damp Beauty Blender as the foundation was pictured with a sponge. I found this applied much better and I definitely think this is a better application method.

The coverage is what I would describe as medium but buildable. With the beauty blender, I find it does sheer out coverage a little, and when I used it with a brush it definitely was more full coverage.

The formula is quite nice. It is quite a liquid formula and sits on the skin well. It dries down to a demi-matte finish and looks quite skin-like. It didn't really highlight pores, however I did find it clung to dry patches a little. It also isn't great for oil control, but the lasting power is quite good.

Overall it is a very nice foundation, but personally I think it is quite expensive at £32.50. Personally I would not purchase.

Let me know if you've tried this foundation and what you think or leave your foundation recommendations in the comments below! I love finding out what other people are loving.

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes

Mid week last minute Halloween ideas

Hello!

I feel like I shouldn't be talking about this because I am not really one for Halloween, but since it's on Saturday, I thought I would just pop up a few ideas from previous Halloweens.

Last year I did this super simple sugar skull look. This was one of the hardest things I did because I'm super bad at art... It's quite good for a last minute look however as you can just use white face paint and eyeliner. 

The previous year I did a cat look. again, super simple, Just use eyeliner. I can't find a picture anywhere however... But there are tons of tutorials for a cat.

This year I'm not sure. I think I'm just going to look on YouTube and find something, or I may not even bother. I feel like it's a lot of work and I'm not planning to go to a party so... we'll see. If you want to see a halloween look from me, check out my instagram as I'll post anything I do there.

Let me know in the comments what you're doing for Halloween! Also,I changed around the colours and stuff of my blog. Recently I've been loving turquoise and mint with gray and copper/rose gold accents, but I'm not sure how I feel about it with my blog. 

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes 

Review: Tarte 7 Piece High-Performance Naturals Collection (picture heavy)

Hi guys,

So I picked this up a while ago when there was a promotion on QVC where the set was just under £40 instead of £51 as it is now. Of course that is a lot of money either way, but I think that the set is quite good value for money - especially as Tarte as a brand is not cheap!

In this set you will get "a full-coverage airbrush foundation with an airbuki brush, silk Amazonian clay eyeliner, lights, camera, lashes 4-in-1 mascara, coconut oil lipstick, a double-ended eyeshadow brush, and a palette with a full-sized Amazonian clay blusher and six eyeshadows, plus a limed edition make-up bag. "- From QVC's site. 

On QVC UK, the shade range for the foundation is very limited, with only 6 shades being available from the range. Sephora has 16 shades on their website, so as you can imagine, 6 shades is definitely not as many as there could be. However, I was able to find a match on the site for my skin tone. It is slightly darker than the one I bought a while ago from Sephora, but it suits my skin more when I have a bit more of a tan. I think if you can find your shade, this would be a good starter kit from Tarte as the price is very good for what you get.

First thing I pulled out was this funky looking brush. This is the Rule Bender double ended eyeshadow brush. I personally do not like double ended brushes as I find them really hard to store/display, but it's a decent brush. It features a fluffy flat side (straight side) and a blending crease side (bent part). The bend in the brush is supposed to make it easier to blend eyeshadow, but to be honest, I don't really see much difference in the application. If anything, I find it more confusing as I am used to my straight brushes. I am going to play with it a bit more and see how I feel as so far I have not actually used it that much.

Next thing I pulled out was the Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara. As I am currently trying to use up some other mascaras, this has been added to my stash to try in the future. However, it is a much raved about product so I'm excited to try it.

Next was the Silk Amazonian Clay Eyeliner in Black Brown. This eyeliner is in a lovely dark brown shade and is a retractable pencil, so no bothersome sharpening. The eyeliner itself is quite short and thin, and the other side features a smudger which is quite hard but not too hard. This eyeliner however.... it was love at first swatch. It glides on so incredibly smoothly, and is so soft and creamy. I love the formulation. Unfortunately, I can't find the exact same product online, so I think it may be a set exclusive, but I am definitely intrigued by Tarte eyeliners now. I have not really tested for longevity as I keep forgetting to check my liner before taking off my makeup, so I've been a bad beauty blogger.

This is the Coconut Oil Lipstick in the shade Primrose. I expected a more nudey type pink, but this is quite a deep colour, more berry than red, but still nude enough for everyday. I think this is a great shade to include in the kit as I can see it looking beautiful on many skintones. The formula is very smooth and almost glossy, which I think is the oil component. I have not tested the longevity of this either as I have not been wearing lipstick lately, but I think in the coming months I will be doing that. A slight disappointment is that it did not smell like coconut, but that's a minor issue.

swatches

 This is the foundation. I did actually open it, but I seem to have forgotten to take a picture of the mesh part. However, I did do a mini review on the shade I originally had which was fair-light neutral which can be seen here. But in summary, I love this foundation formula, its lightweight but full coverage and makes my skin look airbrushed. This is the only reason that I bought this set, because if I do not love the foundation this much, I would not have bought another of it. So I think that speaks for itself. I do wish QVC carried more colours though, and sold it without the brush as I already have 2 with the addition of the one in this kit. However, I still have a quite a lot of this foundation left so I'll worry about replacing it when time comes.

Finally the crowning jewel of the kit in my eyes. The palette. It is a lovely palette, with the gold exterior and the large mirror inside, but it gets dirtier than anything else I have ever seen. I pretty much just looked at it and there was smudges. Ok that's a joke, but honestly, this packaging looks nice but is so impractical in terms of keeping fingerprints off. I had to wipe it then slowly push it into place with a cotton bud in order to take a picture and somehow it still ended up smudged! However, I can forgive it that because the inside is brilliant. There are 6 eyeshadow shades and one blush shade. The blush is a full size blush and is in the shade Insightful. It is the middle swatch. The eyeshadows are Golden Opportunity, Sienna the Future, Like You a Latte (bottom 3 swatches going up), Highlight of My Day, Cream of the Crop and Mauve Mountain (top 3 swatches). They are all really pretty and smooth and blendable. I would say that Cream of the Crop is the shade I have the most trouble with getting to show as it is a nude colour. Personally, I prefer the left side of the palette as I'm enjoying bronzey tones recently, but I think that its a good palette, especially if you're starting out with makeup.

Overall, I think this palette is quite a good deal and has a large range of products. Besides an eyebrow product, this kit would be all I need to take for holiday (except for the part where I want options and bring a huge ton of products). I think even at £51, it is an okay price for what you get and is definitely recommended by me. This product is available at QVC UK.

What do you think of the product? Also, let me know if the post was too long, or if you do like long posts like this? Let me know your thoughts on anything you like in the comments below. I will be replying to them a bit late as I'm staying with a friend this weekend, but I will definitely reply when I get them.

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes