The Edit By Katie

Saturday 5 October 2024

4 Stars in Benidorm: Mercure Hotel

I'd heard stories of Benidorm, the stereotypes, and until this summer, I, like many, thought that this sunny town wasn't for me. That was until I stumbled upon the Mercure on a booking site and couldn't get it out of my mind. The photos were all true, the hotel is a hidden gem inside that crazy little town.

We decided that, bar our evening walks to the beach and one night for dinner, the pool would be our main focal point. It opened at 9am, and of course each day there was a queue of people ready to grab their poolside seats, but I can happily say that from the moment the pool boy allowed us in, people were tasteful, no pushing or shoving like we often see. The rule of not leaving your towel on the chair was in place, but only implemented on one day that we were there. Whilst I completely agree that hogging the loungers and swanning off for hours is unacceptable, I did wish that there were more signage in place or notes left, to tell people what had happened, as on a number of occasions the disgruntled returning pool-goer turned to me, the person on the closest chair, questioning why their items had been removed, as if I had personally taken them for myself. They would leave, another couple would do the same, have their items taken, and I would sit and wait for the hour that they returned, knowing that I would be questioned again. Luckily this only happened on one day as the rule was not enforced on subsequent days, much to many's annoyance. The pool itself was warm, music played from the surrounding speakers, and tanning here for hours seemed like minutes. Glorious.

The hotel itself is brand new. The decor is neutral with beige and greens filling the area. For a price, guests can rent a day bed and food could be ordered via the QR codes on all loungers with tables. We used this option throughout our stay, ordering chicken strips and chips daily, and a cocktail or two when parched. The hotel seemed clean, although I would urge a check of the bedding, and the spare bed in my room, and one of the beds in my mum and sister's room had stained sheets. Whilst stains are bound to occur, and I'm sure the sheets had been cleaned, it is still not what one wants to see.

I would say the food is where the hotel is being let down. We opted for the half board option, where drinks were not included bar tea and coffee with breakfast. Whilst I'm not a full vegetarian, the hot options if I were would be slim, if not none at all. One night I had a plate of chips only. There were salad and fruit plates, but if I'm honest, I would definitely recommend sticking to the bed and breakfast option and head out for dinner instead. However, food is so subjective, so always take views on food with a pinch of salt as it may be just right for you.

Would I go back to the Mercure? Absolutely. A 5 minute walk from the beach, a stumble to supermarkets and shops, and the vibe of the hotel, pool etc., would bring me back in a heartbeat.

Click here to plan your next Spanish trip.

4 stars

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Sunday 21 April 2024

The first timer's guide to New York

New York is surprisingly...massive. More than this Londoner could fathom at first. I truly was not ready for the scale of NYC, and that a week there simply was not enough. If you follow me on any other platform, including this one, you'll know by now that I have fallen quite in love with the city, and haven't stopped thinking about strolling around Central Park in the midday sun, or grabbing a Ralph's Coffee for an afternoon pick me up since. It was of course my first time and we did what any first timer's do; be tourists. Here are my tips and tricks of what to do, where to go and what we did on our first trip to New York City.

Only have a minute? Here is my quick itinerary. If you do have a few minutes to spare, scroll down for my thoughts on everywhere and everything.

6 night trip

Day one- flights, taxi, Times Square at night

Day two- Museum of Natural History, Central Park

Day three- Empire State Building, City Line River Cruise

Day four- Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Plaza, 5th Avenue, Black Tap

Day five- Brooklyn, DUMBO, Manhattan Bridge, 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Day six- Cenral Park, department store window shopping (suitcase very much full sadly), taxi, flight

Day one

An afternoon flight from Gatwick to JFK landed us at about 6pm. We pre-booked transport from the airport to our hotel via a company that we found to be highly recommended on Facebook of all places. Bizzies Luxury Services were just that. From a clear breakdown of different prices and packages via email, to group chats with the driver the day before. The driver was far more excited than were were after an 8 hour trip, taking our photo outside of the airport (and sending them over straight away which for an instant photo enthusiast like myself, I very much appreciated not having to wait for them). He gave us bottles of water and snacks to keep us going throughout the journey. I'll avoid trains at the best of times and with no one in the group having done the subway prior, we opted for the easier (but yes of course more expensive) option, and honestly I am glad that we did. You can of course just opt for a taxi from the airport instead, however taxi drivers expect such a big tip (as we realised on our return trip to the airport on the last day... 20% was not enough apparently!) and the experience is far greater for not much more. In total the taxi return journey was about $100 in total with tax and a driver who cut everyone up in the road, where as our Bizzies car was bigger, $115 (no tips needed but we of course dug deep) and you get a much better service. Next time we will for sure be booking Bizzies for both journeys and could not recommend them enough.

I won't go into too much detail about the hotel, the Warwick, on 6th Avenue, as I have already written a lengthy post about the stay here. I loved the hotel and it would be my first choice for future stays.

Times Square. My word. Not somewhere I would urge you to frequent if you enjoy personal space. We made the mistake of going on our first night, because why wouldn't we? It looks like day time even at night will all of the lights and is the busiest area I have ever seen. We walked through it a few times in between areas and our hotel, and I quickly realised that the tourist traps were not my kind of scene.

Day two

Our first booked experience was the Museum of Natural History. One for the Friends fans, I personally very much enjoy a museum, however be aware that this place is utterly huge. We thought that we'd only spend a few hours here, but no. Hours and hours and gift shop after gift shop we finally got to the end and realised that if today was anything to go by, we were going to be knackered very quickly.

My top tip here and something that I am so glad we did, was get a NYC City Pass. There are a few variations, but found City Pass to be the cheapest one. You get five experiences (laid out in this post and in the short version above) and they include the tourist attractions like the Empire State Building, that you may have bought tickets for anyway. Super easy to use and all QR codes sent straight to your phone so great as a last minute purchase too once in the city.

After the museum we decided on a walk around central park. We were quite honesty knackered however, and quickly opted for an early night. We took our first trip to Target, grabbed a Chick-fil-A and got into bed.

Days three and four

The Empire state building is iconic, as it the view. Day three saw a trip up to the top (again using our City Pass) and I didn't realised that there was a whole museum to walk through beforehand. I was happy to pay just for the view, but the exhibit as such was a welcomed bonus. I've combined day three and four here just as I wanted to add in that we did have tickets for the Top of the Rock experience, but my lift advsersion was far too much for another day going up and down, so the family went up without me and I took my first proper stroll around the park instead. They said that they loved the view however and it was another thing on the City Pass list. Back to day three and after the Empire State building we grabbed a Shake Shack for lunch and headed to the west piers (not their name). We, again through the pass, booked the Landmarks City Line Cruise which took an hour and a half. We sailed from the piers to the Statue of Liberty (literally pretty much straight up to it) which is smaller than I thought. I'm sure you've heard this before but unless you fancy climbing her, paying for a boat to the statue is worthless and many cruises and ferries will take you straight past, and you can get your photo. Anyway we passed Lady Lib, sailed towards the east of the city, under the bridges and back again. The cruise/ferry boat had a cafe so we had a hotdog each and enjoyed the ride.

Day four began, for me, with the park walk, and I've never enjoyed sitting on a bench for an hour more. The weather was beautiful all week, and early mornings in Central Park are something I could easily get used to. We walked down 5th Avenue and I had a look at the St Peter's church, where if you've watched Gossip Girl, will know that it's the place of Blair and Louis' wedding. We then found ourselves in the maze under the Rockefeller Centre. It is of course not really a maze, but upon trying to locate the Starbucks, we ended up circulating down the same paths many times, and ending up at the same places. We went to Bills for lunch, not affiliated with the Bills chain that we have in the UK. We had massive chicken sandwiches (chicken burgers in the UK) and it was here that I realised how big the portion sizes really were. It was back home for a rest, and we headed to the Black Tap for dinner. Again, large portions and another burger. The restaurant is apparently famous for their milkshakes and at $20 each, they better be. Massive shakes with cakes or brownies on top. After a large meal at lunch and again at dinner, I'm unsure as to why I thought ordering one was a good idea. A few sips in and I was finished, so asked for a takeaway cup. Food was fine (I wasn't overly hungry as you can imagine!) and had I just gone in there for the milkshake, I know that I would have been very happy. Would definitely go back.

Day five

The final day saw an early rise, checking out of the room and grabbing a cab down to DUMBO. An early morning photo on the bridge was what I wanted, but we were far too late for that already without hundreds of people. All I can say here is get there early, sunrise early, if you want any pictures without the world in them. DUMBO was busy too, as to be expected. We walked through Main Street Park and past the pebble beach and carousel. Brooklyn has a Time Out Market too, which I didn't go to myself but somewhere to add to list whilst in the area. The steps to the Brooklyn Bridge were easy to find (a few streets over and past the market). I'd heard of there being market stalls on the bridge, great for those cheap souvenirs- I'm a keyring girl myself- but none were to be seen on that day.

I find the entire 9/11 thing really interesting. If there is a documentary about it on the TV then I want to watch it. I think mainly because I don't remember it happening maybe? I was about 5/6 but have no recollection of hearing about it. It turns my stomach when seeing any footage of the day and it is one of the disasters of the world that really gets me. Going to the memorial and museum was a massive thing for me and something that was non-negotiable. Seeing the pools, knowing that this is where it all happened, was so surreal. I spend some time on the benches in the middle watching people go about their day, just as they would have done on that morning in 2001. Our fifth and final City Pass activity was the 9/11 Museum, and bar the exam halls in school, I have never been somewhere so quiet. From the mangled fire trucks from the day, to phone calls and voice recordings of the people in the middle of it all, and even parts of the walls keeping those two towers from flooding from the river, the museum had more than I thought it would. I love seeing walls. A strange statement to make yes, but knowing that this thing was there, on those days or in those far off time periods and yet here it is, standing in front of me, always makes me think. The museum is split into sections, the main section as such, then into the north and south sections. These two have different offerings, one with calls and images of those who lost their lives, and the other with pretty much everything else. Going into the second one (north maybe?), I felt really overwhelmed and claustrophobic suddenly- not for any reason may I add... maybe the amount of people? This just meant that after a room or two I walked through to the end of the room and back out to the main section again. I would definitely go back again though and take my time in that room as I felt that I had missed out for sure.

And finally

The one thing missing from the trip was a big shopping day. Woodbury Common is so high up on my list of places to visit next time and I am already checking for flights to the city asap. New York was stunning and is one of the only places (Bath included in that list for reference) where I could see myself living. Upper East Side only of course. xoxo.

city guide

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Thursday 18 April 2024

The Petite Girl's Guide To Spring Styling

My rules for Spring are simple- choose staples, roll and tuck to your heart's content and neutrals truly are timeless. The past few years have been good to us. So many brands, high street or premium, now have petite ranges. One of my favourites if your budget can stretch is LK Bennet's new range, but ASOS is also a go to for a selection of my favourite brands such as Mango.

The following guide splits into three sections, looking at my go to pieces for the season, and the things I'm trialling for the first time.

1. Neutral love

2. Avoiding demin Disasters

3. The cardi-jacket trend

For all of my outfits below, click here.

Neutral love

It has taken me quite some time you could say to find my style. If you scroll through this blog I'm sure there are a number of posts where I dictate my style for that year or period, convinced that it would last. It never did. Whilst I jump from ultra-feminine to monochrome, one thing always sticks around- my love of neutrals. For a petite girl, I've always found basic colours easier to wear, but most importantly, easier to find. There will be countless pairs of trousers for example, in weird and wonderful shades or designs that I simply cannot wear because they will never fit. I am truly tired of buying jeans and cutting off the bottoms (more on this in a minute) and find that the "basic" (nothing about me is basic honey) colours are always the ones that come in petite sizes too.

Neutrals are the colours that can be paired with everything. Fancy a vibrant skirt? Your neutral wardrobe works well. Three different shades of brown? That works. In two images above, whilst the jeans and bag are the same, the tops and shoes are different. Replacing one or two items (usually a jacket or shoes) really changes the look. Make your wardrobe interchangeable. Utilise the capsule wardrobe trend and go for neutrals, even as a base.

Avoiding demin Disasters

As mentioned above, I spent many a day cutting off chunks of my jeans to get them to fit, only to have cut one a little too short, or to quickly have the hems roll up without warning after one wash or fray ridiculously. Petite jeans have come along way in recent years. Most brands now offer a petite denim section, including for jackets, still some just don't jean as they should. I have been on a mission to find the perfect pair of casual, not too skinny but not oversized, perfect ankle lengthed jeans... and I think I may have my final collection. The pair in the top pictures are wide legged from Mango (see link below). A perfect length and a great option for wide jeans. I wear nothing bar high waisted. It lengthens the leg and I will not hear otherwise. My second pick are the Hannah jeans from New Look (see link below). I should have thought to go back to these after my first pair from a few years ago are still my go to, but when I recently picked up a white pair, I instantly knew I'd found the holy grail.

Not only are frequent-jean-wearing a new concept for me, as someone who refused to wear them for anything bar a food shop until recent, owning a denim midi skirt was not on my 2024 mood board. I opted to stay well away for a number of reasons. First, my own personal style choice. I didn't feel that a blue skirt went with my wardrobe and that a white one would be too chunky looking. I also felt that it would swamp my figure and again, make me look wider. When the trend started earlier this year as Spring-Summer 2024 items hit the racks, I thought that it was time to give one a go. I'd seen a few looks like the one I've styled above, pairing the skirt with boots I already owned and thought that the striped bardot top brought something a little more feminine to the look than a t-shirt would. Whilst the skirt isn't something I know I would reach for myself, again just due to my personal style, I really do think that they look great on smaller frames and allow you to be covered, but still cool with that slit, in the changing spring weather. Next for me is to try a denim mini skirt. I'm thinking pure white with dark brown accessories. Stay tuned.

Denim is a tricky fabric to get right when you are petite. But I can only imagine the search for the perfect pair is only going to get easier from here on.

Mango jeans

New Look jeans

The cardi-jacket trend.

I have never been more obsessed with a trend that isn't a trend. By this I mean that I have been wearing cropped (as in waist cropped, not chest length cropped) for quite some time. So when they became what I believe to be this Spring's greatest item, I was over the moon. In the same breath, the cardigan trend has come about, and both items are interchangeable and worn in the same way.

Again, neutrals here will be your best friend. White, cream, green, brown and even navy are staple colours this season and of course, I have jackets and cardigans in each of the colours. I wear a few of these pieces a week. Wide wide leg culottes, high waisted midi skirts or my new favourite jeans. Again, all interchangeable and the perfect piece whilst the weather decides what it wants to do.

And Finally...

Spring is fast becoming one of my favourite seasons and brands really have stepped up their offerings this year. Supermarkets have taken over as the place to shop, with Tesco, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer gaining a new audience in fashion lovers. I myself had a walk around Tesco's F&F clothing section just before a recent trip to the States, and was thrilled to find something that I've been hunting for, perfect in each design aspect, and with 25% off, as supermarkets often do member discounts on clothing. Definitely not one to pass up on your weekly food shop.

Affiliate links used.

fashion

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Saturday 13 April 2024

New York: 6 nights at the Warwick

The Warwick Hotel, New York City.

Warwick hotels are across the globe, but the NYC location may just be one of my favourite hotels yet. Situated on the corner of 6th Avenue and 54th Street, the hotel is quite literally in the middle of it all. A ten minute walk north sees Central Park and my personal favourite, the Upper East Side. 10 minutes south gets you to the Rockefeller centre which is a maze of shops and restaurants and is much more than just the view, or go west for Times Square. A walk a bit further will see you at the Empire State Building, so all of the above can be seen within an afternoon for sure.

The hotel is 4 stars. We stayed in a Premier City View Room with a view of 6th Avenue. The hotel is quite old and my tip would be to ask for a low floor room. I dislike lifts at the best of times and will always opt for stairs, but reading the reviews and experiencing it myself on the second day, we quickly realised how slow the lifts were. There are only three and can fit about 6 people in them at a push. They are super slow and with all of the floors of the hotel to cover it is not unusual to wait quite a while for the lift. I requested a low floor room and was kindly given one on floor 3. There is no ground floor here, so floor 1 is ground and 2, 3 and so on. When none of the lifts arrived on the second day, we asked a member of staff walking past about the stairs situation as the main foyer stairs only go to the second floor (1st floor in the UK if you will). He said there was a back staircase that we could use, and this took us down to the back quarters as such. I realised however that if we went to floor 2, we could just go through the door, walk through the lounge and go down the main stairs into the foyer, meaning that we were only in the back section (used by maintenance/maids I assume) for one floor. We saw so many people on our stairs journey so I know that the lifts can be an issue for many people, so unless you're set on a high floor for the view I would recommend requesting a low floor.

Now for the little details:

Tip wise, we left a few dollars every day for the maids. Rooms were cleaned daily. The coffee was a Starbucks brand however creamer was powered so buy some milk or a bottle of creamer if you like it even slightly lighter. There is a mini fridge under the TV. The beds were huge and very comfortable. Noise wise of course you can hear the road, it is busy New York after all, but the noise level didn't keep us up at all, and if it does, pop on the air-con and it's like white noise and will drown it out.

Would I stay at the Warwick again? Without a doubt. Doormen were polite and kind. Room was big (for NYC!) and always well kept. The location was perfect. And one of the more important aspects, the price, that was great for a 4 star hotel that was situated where it was.

Click here to find your perfect New York hotel.

The bathroom reminded me of our Italian hotel in Rome!

The very large beds!

new york

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Wednesday 29 November 2023

The gift guide for her

And finally, the gift guide for her. This year sees a number of price points, bargains and new found favourite brands. As always any items gifted by the brand will contain an * and affiliate links are used.

The bag

I've never been a Michael Kors girl myself, until now. When I walked into TK Maxx and found an array of MK items from bags to scarfs and hats, I was instantly sold. The price point is super low and honestly who wouldn't be excited to open up a Michael Kors gift on Christmas Day? The bag that I chose is a small waist bag, which could easily be changed for a shoulder strap. It's big enough for a phone and card holder and the colours match my wardrobe perfectly. Buy it here.

Cosmetics

First Aid Beauty is a fab brand that bring out some great gifts each year, and their 2023 offerings are no different. The Let It Glow set offers four products: Pure Skin Face Cleanser , Facial Radiance Pads – 28 Day, Ultra Repair Cream, and the KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub. All products are safe for sensitive skin and the bundle saves you up to 40%. Buy it here.

Ted Baker is a huge part of Christmas in my house. My mum is quite frankly obsessed and will be getting the Cosmetics Collection set this year amongst other things. The set includes lipsticks, eyeshadows, a mascara and reusable remover pads, and is currently in the Boots half price star gift range, or apart of the normal 3-for-2 offer. Buy it here.

Elysium Spa set

When I tell you that this set is £2.50 you'll probably refuse to believe me. I've even gone back to check, and yes, still the same price. This set is amazing. A candle, epsom salts and a bath bomb in a range of festive scents make a fantastic gift this year.

Douvalls are a new brand for me this year and they have released some lovely gift sets. The first is the Rescue Ritual Cleanse & Nourish Gift set with a cream cleanser, moisturiser and muslin cloth. The set is full is argon oil, nourishing the skin and the products look fab on your bathroom shelf. Buy it here. The second set is the Scents to Uplift Gift set with three scents for the home. The scents include a lemon and basil shower spray, Vanilla, Coconut, and Black Pepper room spray and a Mandarin and Lemon Toilet spray. Each spray is glorious and comes in a eco friendly gift box too. Buy the set here.

The jewellery

Would it be a gift guide without Pandora? It's no secret that I adore the brand and have quite the collection now. It all started when my dad bought me a pandora bracelet for my 21st birthday and the love affair with the charms went from there. That little white box is iconic and whether you're a charm lover or not, Pandora have something for everyone this Christmas. Buy the bracelet here.

The practical present

I've used a bag from Katie Loxton for work for a while now. So when I saw that they had a matching purse too, it was immediately in my basket. The reason that the purse has made it to this list is because KL offer personalisation on so many of their products, making it a perfect gift for someone this year. Buy the purse here.

Next on my list is a pair gloves. Not just any old gloves... Holland Cooper Gloves. I have a pair myself and quite frankly adore them. They're not only a wool blend, but super stylish too. Adore. Buy them here.

Style pro

A gift for the makeup lovers in your life, I found the Style Pro squeeze device in home bargains for around £6 can you believe. I picked up one for myself in the process and think it's a great little gift at a great little price. Buy it here.

Cake slide

And finally, something that I have treated myself to this year but wanted to add in anyway.... a cake slice by William Morris. I love the Honeysuckle print and am known to walk around a store pointing out William Morris prints, because that is who I am now. A luxury cake slice would be a welcome gift to any desert lover.

Christmas

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Saturday 25 November 2023

The Stocking guide

The second instalment of my guides this year is of course, for the stocking lovers. My family have always been stocking people and I love nothing more than waking up on Christmas morning and finding that Santa has filled up my stocking whilst I slept. The list is rather extensive, so buckle down and get your shopping list ready.

Some items were gifted by the brands and will contain a *. Affiliate links used.

Hand creams

What is more of a staple in your stocking than a hand cream? This year my bosses are getting one of the Cath Kidston Balance Hand Cream and Twist Key set each, the latter of the set I think is a fab idea. I picked these up for less than £4 in TK Maxx this year and I would highly recommend a trip down if you need some stocking inspo. Buy it here.

Brushes

A new makeup brush is one of life's little luxuries, but do you have a 3-in-1 multi brush that comes in a travel pouch? Love Vicci* is a new brand that has launched two brushes, the makeup brush and the eye brush. Both are 3-in-1 and start at £16.95. The brand would be perfect for the sister that's travelling next year, or the niece that is just dabbling with a few products. Buy them here.

For the makeup lover

Would it be a gift guide without a mention of one of my favourite ever brands; Charlotte Tilbury? This year Tilbs have brought out some bauble presents with minis of their best selling products. There are a few mini baubles released this year, which includes their Magic Cream, Pillow Task lipstick (my all time favourite) and the Pillow Talk mascara (also my all time favourite). I personally think that these are super sweet and a lovely little luxe present at a lower price. Buy them here.

An honourable mention to Pixi of whom I am a massive fan. Whilst I don't have anything Christmas related to show you as such, their products are all stocking friendly and over the years, Pixi have established themselves in my makeup bag, and skincare cupboard as a firm contender. Secret Santa? Give them Pixi. Stockings? Pixi. Birthdays? Pixi. I love them.

Another new product for me this year but one that is stocking-ready is the NUDESTIX Lip Butter Tint Set*. This set of three glossy tints is infused with avocado and shea butter and quite frankly, you cannot go wrong with a lip butter at Christmas. Give them all or keep one for yourself, I know what I would do. Buy them here.

Fragrances

Yardley* have released their Fine Fragrance Collection, including their English Rose, English Lavender, Lily of the Valley and English Honeysuckle scents, so there is truly something for everyone. The set is at a great price point too and I personally love that Yardley are becoming a great brand for a new generation. Buy it here.

Something handy

Something that I hadn't thought of before, but is, in my opinion, a fab little stocking gift, is a gift of usefulness. Let's be honest, the older we get the more we need a little help to stay pruned, and this year Bare Feet* have you sorted with their compact Electronic Callas Remover. The gift of great feet can never be underestimated. Also, every year I get a nail file or two in my stocking, but this year gets an upgrade with Bare Feet's Glass Nail File. It's super snazzy and I'll be keeping it for myself, thank you. Buy them here.

Nails

If, like me, getting to the salon for a nail appointment just isn't op of your priority list each month, or those ever increasing prices are just out of you budget, then glue-on-nails are absolutely going to be your best friend this festive season. Kiss* has a massive range of nails to choose from, from short squares, to french tips (a personal fave) to even long ombre nudes. I imagine each set as a personality and just know that a few ladies in my life will love the sets I've picked for them. Buy them here.

Skincare

I am a firm believer that if you find something that works, stick with it. For me, thats the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. You can imagine my joy when I found that this year LE had released their mini gift sets at a fab price, and included in the Boots 3 for 2 offer that I take full advantage of each year. I've picked up a few sets for the stockings that I'm filling this year, including the Cleanse and Brighten set with a Hot Cloth Cleanser and Eyebright Eye Lotion, and the Cleanse and Refresh set with the ever popular Skin tonic instead of the lotion. From Boots, both are around the £10-12 mark and genuinely one of the best stocking fillers I've found this year. Buy them here.

Like the above, Soap and Glory came out with some lovely little mini gift sets this year. Again in the Boots 3 for 2 offer, I picked up two of the Smooth Minis Mix sets with a mini Scrub of Your Life, and Righteous Body Butter, and a Feel Good set, with their Heel Genius and Hand Food Cream included. A great way of giving the minis we all love in a fancy looking way. Oh and did I mention that they're £5?! Crazy. Buy them all here.

Aesthetically pleasing to say the least, Evolve Beauty have released some festive sets this year. I'm no stranger to a beauty bauble and the Golden Glow bauble set is fabulous. For all skin types, the bauble contains the Bio-Retinol Gold Mask which rejuvenates and nourishes the skin. Evolve Beauty have also released the Radiant Rose Duo set, including the Rose Quartz Facial Polish and Rosehip Miracle Oil. The set claims to leave the skin feeling regenerated and revitalised, something I for one, need after the busy festive period.

Candles

This mini Yankee Candle was indeed...£2.99 from Home Bargains. I too was stunned. I only picked one up for some unknown reason and have since been unable to find more, clearly for good reason. I don't know anyone that wouldn't appreciate a Yankee Candle this year and a festive one makes it all the better.

Jewellery

When Amelia Scott* sent me their Emerald, Blush Pink & Gold Earrings, I actually squealed. These earrings are gorgeous and if I found them at the bottom of my stocking this year I would be a very happy girl *hint hint*. I wear a lot of velvet at Christmas so these go perfectly and the pink Cubic Zirconia is of course, stunning too. Buy them here.

Let me know if you pick up anything for your stockings this year!