Winter Essentials

While we are all distracted by Christmas we tend to forget about the down come after all the excitement and by the time it reaches that point we all get depressed and most of the time, ill. I think they call this JANUARY BLUES. However January doesn't have to be blue, there are ways we can pick ourselves up through those bleak months.

I've put together a few essentials which I've found useful for these colder months. First off, Kiko's energy mask personally recommended by a member of staff from the Birmingham store. Before moving to Nottingham I'd never heard of Kiko and I must of been hiding under a rock or something because this is one of the best brands I've discovered so far. The products are cheap as chips but still have an amazing quality to them and often have products on offer (not that you need a sale to afford them!) The energy mask is a detoxifying black mask which you leave to set on a dry face for 10 minutes then wash off with warm water. Kiko sell a range of masks but this particular product helps cleanse the skin from pollution and impurities which is definitely something most of us will need after all the food we've inhaled this month!

A cosy tee. Strangely I've been looking for a top like this for a while but after not being able to find one for so long I think I just gave up. Then when shopping the other week, I went into Zara and saw it for only 5.99!! Generally Zara can be quite expensive but if you have a proper mooch around you can pick up from bargains, especially from their basics! This has to be one of the softest tees I've owned and I just thought it would be perfect for a cosy winter lazy day. To add to that lazy day, whats better than warm knitted socks?! Primark is always hit and miss but I discovered these boot socks along side the ankle socks. They are the ideal socks for lounging in, not too suffocating and keep your feet at a perfect temperature.

I hope these items are able to give you some sort of joy in the new year.
Merry Christmas!

Energy Mask (Kiko, £5.90 but currently on offer for £2.90 online and possibly in most stores)

Stripped Tee (Zara, £5.99)

Boot Socks (£1.99 for a pack of 3, other colours include charcoal and dusty pink)

WANTFEED

Over the past year, I've been religiously watching Hannah Maggs' weekly vlogs with her, her husband Stefan and their baby boy, Grayson aka Squeaky G. Back in May, Stefan set up a digital platform called Wantfeed, which allows you to list items on a feed of which you plan on purchasing. One blogger described it as "a cross between Pinterest and store wish lists." The service also offers an option to add a 'want' widget to your browser, so when you browse the internet and find something to like, you can easily add it to your want feed.

I've recently set up an account and I'm already addicted, particularly because both my birthday and Christmas fall in December. Despite having a very similar concept, Pinterest and Wantfeed are completely different. Since starting uni and being a fashion student, I've come to use Pinterest in a more professional manner, pinning images which relate to my projects or as inspiration. Wantfeed on the other hand, allows me to curate a selection of desirable products, in a more casual and personal way. I almost see Wantfeed as a branch off of Pinterest, with just that little bit extra.

As a first time user, I found Wantfeed so easy to use as it's very simplistic. Despite being simplistic, it provides you with a unique user experience due to the innovative concept. In this current age, and due to the recession, most people come across times where they perhaps can't afford a lot that they want. Wantfeed enables you to store the things you like and put them to one side until payday. This is a lot easier than screenshotting items or saving links!

This service has got a lot of potential to be successful, and I also believe in helping independent/freelance businesses as much as I can. So help share the new social wanting website and meanwhile check out the Michalak family diaries over on their youtube channel!

Check out my Wantfeed @livvyhoughton

naked 2 palette

I've recently purchased the Naked 2 palette and I know I'm a bit late onto the bandwagon but I've been meaning to try this product for so long. Admittedly I would never spend this much on a eyeshadow palette but because I've heard such great reviews, I had to try it. Obviously I wasn't going to folk out nearly a hundred pounds on buying all three palettes, so unfortunately I had to narrow it down to one, Naked 2.

On a everyday basis I don't tend to spend much time on my make up however I do like to add a bit life to my face. Since entering autumn I've tended to opt for a shimmery shade, particularly 'YDK' and 'Half Baked'. I'd quickly apply the primer (given as a freebee with the palette) followed by either one of the above shades. If I feel like putting a little more effort into my makeup, I'd add either 'Foxy' or 'Booty Call' in the inner corners of my eyes to brighten up my face. Despite consistently using these shades, they still look barely used, clearly a little goes a long way with this palette.