University Second Year Reflection & Summer Plans

Hey! I'm back!

In April I had 3 assignment deadlines, an exam and then 2 at the beginning of May. Which meant no time for blogging! However, my second year of University is now over which means I can get back to it.

Christmas on a Student Budget | Gifts for: The Skincare Addict

Hey!

Today I bring you the final instalment to my Christmas on a Student Budget series. I have really enjoyed doing these and they have received really good views so thank you very much! Today is about 'The Skincare Addict'- for those who love to take care of their skin.


1. Garnier Mini Micellar Ultra Lift Gift Set (£10.00). This set focuses on 'lifting' the skin so it might be better for an adult audience, although the Garnier Micellar water is for anyone. I absolutely love the Garnier Micellar Water as a make up remover it is my holy grail so I would happily buy it for other people. It also comes with the UltraLift Day Cream to make skin feel firmer and to reduce wrinkles/fine lines.

2. Lush Mask of Magnaminty (£9.95). This mask focuses on clearing, calming and cleaning the skin. It is a large pot so it will last your recipient for a long time. This mask is a very popular product of Lush and has honey as an antiseptic and peppermint to reinvigorate. If your recepient suffers from blemished skin and/or oiliness, this could be the one for them.

3. Nivea Lip Tin Vanilla (£2.00). Nivea is absolutely number one when it comes to moisturising the lips, particularly for those of us who regularly complain of dry and chapped lips. This is a simple gift but the tin lasts a while and it really does do a fantastic job. This would be good as a stocking filler or as a general gift. I got it for Christmas last year and it goes great in my handbag. Plus, it fits a whole range of people!

4. Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub (£5.50). This is another holy grail product of mine. A good way of getting rid of chapped lips in the winter is to use a lip scrub. This one is natural, smells great and you can even lick it off after. I can make a pot of this last nearly a whole year so it is the gift that keeps on giving. Also good to use before applying lipstick or any other lip product to ensure smoother application!

5. Yes To Carrots Fragrance Free Exfoliating Cleanser (£7.99). Yes To incorporate all kinds of fruit and vegetables to treat all kinds of skin complaints. This one is an exfoliating cleanser, good for getting rid of dead skin, where the aim is at normal to dry skin. Dry skin and be quite annoying in the colder months! In addition to that it is fragrance free, ensuring that it would be good for the most sensitive of skins. Not to mention that the brand is so interesting in the type of ingredients that it uses that it makes an intriguing and conversation starter present.

6. The Body Shop Strawberry Body Polish (£5.00). Another good product for these colder months is an exfoliating body scrub to get rid of the once again, dry, dead skin cells. The Body Shop is a trustworthy brand for this job and is especially good to use before shaving. It smells amazing!


That is it for my Christmas gift guides this year! I hope that this, or any of the others, were helpful. Here are the links to my other budget/student gift guides for 2015:

• The Make Up Enthusiast
• The Home Decor Lover
• The Blogger
• The Toddlers

Christmas on a Student Budget | Gifts for: The Blogger

Hello! 

Once again I am coming to you with another gift guide aimed at students or anyone else on a budget this Christmas. This time, the gift guide is centred around buying for bloggers.

1. Moleskin 'My list of awesome things to write about' Journal (£5.00). If other bloggers are anything like me, I like to list my blog posts which sometimes come to me at random times such as out and about. Because of this, I always like to have a notebook at hand to jot down my ideas. So this would be great just for that job!


2. Paperchase Birdhouse Magnetic Clip Board, Pad & Pen (£6.00). Another organising gift! I actually have a whiteboard I use to organise my posts on and this is a great alternative to that. This would be good for bloggers who like to plan their posts in details and like to type up posts from paper. Plus, this is such a cute design!


3. Primark Garfield 'Sleep is overrated' PJ Top (£5.00). The PJ top isn't on the Primark website any longer so I can't link it or show you the photo of it, but it will probably still be in store! It is basically a pyjama top with the cat Garfield's face on saying 'Sleep is overrated'. I thought this was a good gift for a blogger because not only is it nice to write blog posts whilst in cosy clothing, but I think a lot of bloggers can relate to losing out on sleep because they're writing blog posts!


4. HURKI Queen of the Bloggers Small Mug (£8.48). A simple mug but a fun one to buy for a fellow blogger friend. Think they're a great blogger? Well let them know!


5. Thorntons Continental Milk, White & Dark Collection (£7.00). I know personally I like to snack on things whilst I write, so I thought a box of varied chocolate would be nice to keep someone going whilst they're typing.

6. 101 Blogging Tips: How To Create a Blog That People Will Find, Read and Share (£2.24). Finally I thought I would include a blogging handbook. Not only would this be great for beginners but it would also be good for those trying to up their blogging game or simply just reinforce their already acquired tips and tricks. It is a nice little kindle book that someone can flick through on their phone or tablet.



That's it for this guide! Click here for my student budget guide to buying home decor and this one here for the make up lover.

Christmas on a Student Budget | Gifts for: The Home Décor Lover

1. Next Alphabet A-Z Cushion (£10.00). These cushions make a good personal gift as you can get a letter to suit the recipient's name. You can also get an '&' one so if you were buying for a couple you could get their initials and a '&'! They're simple looking black and white cushions which means that they would go with plenty of colour themes and look good on a bed or a sofa.


2. Next Set of 4 Drinks Coasters in Holder (£8.00). These coasters make a humorous gift with little jokes on such as 'You look like I need a drink' and 'If you can read this, my drink needs topping up'. I think this would be good for someone who frequently has guests over because guests can use the coasters for their drinks and have a little giggle when they see them. Again, they're simple black and white so would go well with many colour themes.


3. H&M Small Metal Leaf-Shaped Dish (£7.99). I spotted this dish and thought it looked lovely and intricate. I think this would be good to place delicate jewellery on such as rings and would look nice on a vanity table. If the person you're buying for doesn't wear jewellery I also think it would be nice to put your house keys/car keys on so you always remember where you put your keys! Then it could look good in the hallway.


4. H&M 'Books I Haven't Read Yet' Metal Bookend (£7.99). If you're buying for a book lover then this is a brilliant idea. This would look wonderful at the end of a shelf or in a bookcase and can help a book lover separate the books they have and haven't read. I for one sometimes forget which of my collection I've read and which I haven't so this would be super helpful! 


5. Yankee Candle 'Snow In Love' Small Jar Candle (£8.99). Plenty of home décor lovers I know are also big fans of candles so a Yankee Candle had to be in my guide.  Yankee candles are well known around the world and are known to have a lasting smell so a Christmas candle would be great. I chose 'Snow In Love' because I thought the name was quite punny and would be good to buy for someone you love. 


6. Tesco House Cement Sign 'LIFE takes you to unexpected places, LOVE brings you home' (£4.00). Finally, we have this little sign that hangs on a rope which reads 'LIFE takes you to unexpected places, LOVE brings you home'. I'd buy this for a whole range of people such as someone who was a recent home owner and are looking to add small details to their home, or even a young student who has recently moved out of their family home and into university accommodation. 



I hope this is helpful! I also have a student budget gift guide for make up, so if you haven't seen it yet then feel free to click here. :-)

Christmas on a Student Budget | Gifts for: The Make Up Enthusiast

Whenever I see Christmas guides, more often than not I sit and think to myself: There's no way I could afford that! Although I have just come out of education for a year's break, I still consider myself a student I am certainly still on the budget of one! So I have decided to make a mini series called 'Christmas on a Student Budget' which consist of presents that aren't too expensive and would be helpful for anyone who can't spend too much money this Christmas.


First of all I would like to start with something that I know best: make up. To follow a link to the item I am talking about, just click the product name!


1. Urban Decay De-Slick MakeUp Setting Spray (£9.00, but currently £8.00 on FeelUnique). Want to buy a higher end product for someone without spending the money? Urban Decay is a well known amazing brand which not everyone can afford, so the travel size version of their setting sprays is a great way to go if you don't have the money to spend on their full size products. Their setting sprays are well known for being great and it is bound to receive a thumbs up from your fellow make up lover.


2. Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick (£6.90). Eyeshadow sticks are well known as a quick way to apply eyeshadow and they are also good for providing a base for other eyeshadows. Kiko do an amazing range of eyeshadow shades from neutrals to bolds so you're bound to find something here. I own one myself and they are certainly long lasting!


3. Sleek MakeUp i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette (£7.99). Sleek i-Divine eyeshadow palettes are popular for their bargain price and pigmented colours. I have linked you to the 'Storm' palette which is the one I have and use regularly, but there are plenty of others to choose from!


4. Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm or Lacquer Balm (£7.99). I have two of these and let me tell you, they're great! If you prefer a matte lip you can get the matte balms, but if you prefer shine you can go for the lacquer ones. There is a nice range of shades and I have a matte purple and matte red. Lip crayons are really easy to apply and are great for carrying around in your handbag to top up if necessary. I don't even use a lip brush!


5. Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Instant-Perfecting Power Primer (£10.00). If you're buying for someone who loves being able to try out the latest make up products, this would be a good choice. This primer recently came out and it seems to have pretty positive reviews, so this also may be one for the beauty bloggers out there! I like Soap & Glory make up products in general, plus their packaging with their quirky names always makes an appealing looking gift.


6. Real Techniques Setting Brush (£6.99). Everybody knows Real Techniques do incredible make up brushes, and this is one of the cheaper ones. I have the setting brush and I think it is great for concealer, powder and highlighter. It is super soft and makes a lovely addition to anyone's make up brush collection.


That's it! I hope my suggestions were helpful. Look out for my future gift guides coming soon! :-)