Getting To Know... Emily Valentine Parr aka Style Lobster

Photos: @stylelobster Instagram

With 2017 starting off with so much negativity I wanted to look to the positives and celebrate the absolutely incredible things that are happening around us and the blogging industry is absolutely one of them. Blogging has completely exploded and I wanted to use my knew "Getting To Know..." series as a chance to celebrate some of the incredible bloggers that are out there and doing their thing no matter what. 

To start the series off, I wanted to chat to one of my favourite bloggers of the moment, Emily Valentine Parr or as you might know her better, Style Lobster. Emily is absolutely killing it in the blogging game at the moment and is topping my charts for ones to watch this year. She is unbelievably beautiful and her gorgeous photography gets me hook, line and sinker every time. 

Here's what happened when I caught up with Emily and asked her a few quick fire questions... 

Introduce yourself and your blog in one sentence

I’m Emily and I’m the style, beauty and travel LOBSTER.

When did you start blogging and why?

3 years ago this February. I initially started because I was interest in advertising and beauty branding…

What was your first ever beauty product?

Probably the Spice Girls Impulse body spray because my Mum was hell bent on keeping me away from makeup and beauty products for as long as possible when I was a child.

Best budget beauty buy?

Lloyds Pharmacy Body Care Oil, £5.99 for 125ml – it’s basically bio oil but a fraction of the cost!

What one product do you always repurchase?

Nuxe Rev de Miel lip balm, £9.50

Bold eyes or bold lips?

Lips always

Your biggest beauty disaster?

A fringe

Most cherished piece of clothing?

My Chloe bag

What’s your go-to outfit?

Girlfriend jeans, oversized knit, stan smiths and some interesting jewellery 

Granny pants or thongs?

Depends on my mood ;)

What’s in your handbag right now?

My diary, keys, phone, lip balm, and a hell of a lot of receipts. I started seeing them now I am a freelancer and I have the fuckers spilling out of everywhere

Night out or night in?

Again depends on my mood

What’s your favourite meal?

Mexican or sushi - tough one

What’s your spirit animal?

Monkey

Who is your beauty/style icon?

Style - the Olsens

Beauty - Charlotte Tilbury 

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

My bed

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Cheese

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed?

Sad to say it but check my social media

Top blogging tip?

Quality and consistency always

What do you see in the future for yourself and your blog?

My own line of products. I ran my own beauty company before so I hope to do this again one day.

Follow Emily @stylelobster and check out her blog here and YouTube channel here. 

What a babe. I'm so pleased to have Emily for my first in my 'Getting To Know...' series but do let me know who you'd like to see me interview next? 

Lorna x

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5 expensive products that are actually worth it

Beauty products can be bloody expensive. With many bloggers income increasing and press samples being handed out left right and centre, how do we really know what's actually worth spending your hard earned pennies (or most definitely pounds in this case) on? 

Doing what I do, I've had the incredible opportunity to try out some products that I would never dream about spending the cash on. Spending near to 100 quid, or even half of that on certain products seemed (and very much still does in most cases!) so alien to me, but when you try something that blows your socks off is when everything changed and you can see why. I hate the idea of picking up an incredibly expensive purchase and not loving it. I get that with beauty it's trial and error and pretty subjective but honestly, I generally just don't want to risk it - and I can imagine most of you are the same. 

I've tried a lot of products I don't like, but I've also tried products that are the complete opposite and I love. Here's why I absolutely adore these 5 luxury beauty products... 

Jo Malone Colognes, £43 for 30ml and £86 for 100ml

Expensive yes, but when really you look at the price you're spending on a fragrance in Boots or Debenhams, it really is worth it. You've probably drooled over the Jo Malone concessions or stores before, but if you haven't ever broken the boundary to purchasing one of their colognes then you really must. I have a lot of fragrances, in fact I'd go as far to say it's my thing at the moment and the Jo Malone ones in my collection are by far some of the best quality. The fragrances are exquisite and generally unlike any I've ever smelt before but the thing that blows me away the most about these is the lasting power of them. They last all day and all night and for me that's what wins. Buying a Jo Malone fragrance is an experience, from the time you spend in the store or purchasing online to the packaging the products are wrapped in. Jo Malone has to be one of my favourite brands at the moment. Honestly they can do no wrong and they've got some very exciting things in the pipeline, so keep your eyes peeled for them. 

Aurelia Skincare Miracle Cleanser, £38 for 120ml

I've flagged the cleanser here, but really I absolutely swear by the brand as a whole. I tried Aurelia around a year ago and I have been in love ever since. I didn't think I'd sway from my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and although I do still adore it, this cleanser has taken over in the meantime. From the beautiful packaging to the luxurious quality of the products, I absolutely adore everything about them. Much like with Jo Malone, buying from them is an experience and the packaging the products come in are so beautiful. I'd recommend trying the cleanser first but their Refine and Polish Miracle Balm, £57 is an incredible exfoliator and their Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser, £52, Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser, £52 and Revitalise & Glow Serum, £57 are beautiful hydrators. Put it this way, I've not tried anything from the brand and not loved it. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit, £69

This has to be one of those products I've wanted to try for years. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders are endlessly raved about and I always wanted to see why. I finally got my hands on this beautiful marble-esque palette and it didn't disappoint. I do have to admit though I didn't think this at first. I generally veer towards palettes that pack a more powerful punch on first application because that's what gets me going back for more but initially I didn't feel that. I just didn't really get it but from hearing so much about the powders I knew I must be missing a trick. The effect is much more subtle and once I got behind that I really started to notice how incredible my skin looked when I used this. I initially was looking for a more impactful 'highlighter on fleek' kind of look and although it didn't give that it gave me something I had never experienced before. Put it this way, I've used the palette every single time I've done my makeup since because there's nothing else quite like it. 

This palette has it all; a powder, a couple of blushers, a highlighter and a bronzer and they all blend flawlessly together to create a beautiful 'lit from within' kind of look. This palette brightens me up to no end and I can't tell you what a miracle worker this is on a hangover. 

Oribe Dry Texturising Spray, £41 for 300ml

Again, this one was another product I had heard hyped up to no end and I really wanted to try it but I just could never justify spending £41 on a hair product unless I really did know that I loved it - and £20 on the mini just didn't really seem worth it. I love a beachy texture to the hair and by using this hair product I get the look that I love instantly without any effort at all. A quick spritz in my hair gives it that much needed boost when its looking a little lack lustre (and potentially in need of a wash) or finishes off my go-to look when styling my hair for the day or night out to follow. It's expensive but I've never used a hair product that feels so luxurious and I always get incredibly excited to use it. I've been using my bottle for quite a while now and it still seems to be going strong so I'd say you get a lot of use out of it too. Well worth it if you like a textured do and are a little on the lazy side like I can be... 

Sunday Riley Juno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil, £70 for 30ml

Face oils are bloody expensive and I just never got it. I didn't get the idea of slathering oil all over my face when a face cream or serum could hydrate my skin in the same way. But now I know that's because I hadn't tried a facial oil that actually worked for me like this one does. Again, this is an incredibly hyped product in the blogosphere and again its far too expensive to just try on a whim. Much like the Hourglass palette, I had to give this a go a few times before I really got what it was all about. I'm not going to lie, it took a lot to get over my aversion to face oils - in fact, sometimes I still struggle with it. It feels bloody weird but this oil makes it all worth it. My skin is on the dryer end of the spectrum and it's one of my go-to hydrators in the evening or if I've got a lot of time to let it sink in in the morning. It hydrates my skin incredibly well but it gives my skin a beautiful radiance like I've never noticed with another product. It's great if my skin is feeling a little sensitive and I can't tell you how luxurious it feels. It's got the most beautiful packaging and having it on my dressing table is just beautiful. I have tried the Luna Sleeping Night Oil, £85 and although it is great I think this one wins overall. 

What are your go-to high end beauty products? 

Lorna x

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Getting over my fitness fear

Photos: Psycle London

I have never been into exercise. I was always that girl in PE class that would do everything and anything to get out of it. Endless sick notes, extra IT class... You name it, if it got me out of doing exercise, I'd be there. 

Honestly, I think part of it always came down to the fear of trying. I didn't generally like the competitive edge to it as in my head, I was terrible at sport and would therefore always be the worst. I hated it and honestly I never thought anything would get me into doing anything fitness related again. 

I wrote a post over a year ago on an exercise class that broke my aversion to fitness. It was a spinning class in Canary Wharf called Psycle and I absolutely fell in love with it. I think I'd been to a couple of classes across their branches near Canary Wharf and Oxford Street before I wrote the post and at that point, my mind was blown that I was enjoying it - and to this day, I'm still hooked. 

I remember seeing people talk about the class, and there was something in me that thought perhaps I could try it one day, but honestly, my fear of exercise always got the better of me and it never became much more than a passing thought. Eventually, the email came with an invite and with the opportunity to drag along a friend, I took it with (slightly) open arms. I can't tell you how nervous I was. I didn't know what to expect, but bringing along my bestie meant that the pressure was taken off a little. I knew I'd struggle, I mean it had been years and years since I'd done anything that broke a sweat and struggling to make it to the top of a staircase definitely doesn't count. 

Psycle spinning classes aren't quite like I'd expected. I'd heard horror stories about spinning. In fact when I told people that's where I was heading that evening, I really expected the worst.  But Psycle is just so welcoming. From the time you step into the building, everyone is so friendly and helpful and although I was still incredibly nervous that first time, it really helped to diminish that. The fact that the facilities are so beautiful are just an added bonus (because trust me, they really are. Hello Sachajuan in the changing rooms). You set up your bike, with the help of their super lovely staff if needed and the lights go down, coloured lights flash to loud music and you just get into it. It is tough, I'm absolutely not saying it isn't but the fact that it's so fun gets you past that. 

Everyone that knows me will have had to listen to my general spiel about how incredible Psycle is, hell if ou follow me on social media, Twitter especially you'll probably have noticed my endless tweets expressing my love for the class but if you're around London, you need to give it a go. Fitness pro or not, everyones there, everyone is doing there best and it feels so empowering. 

But this kind of isn't the point. Yes Psycle is incredible and is 100% the reason I get any sort of exercise in my life but I wanted to put across the point of how amazing it makes me feel. I come out of a class and my mood is boosted. I could go in feeling terrible, but without fail I always come out with a massive smile on my face. It makes me so happy and it's all because I got over that hurdle of my fitness fear. Spinning might not be for you. I know it's not for everyone, but you just need to find your groove. Try a few things out, drag a friend or your boyfriend along with you for support. Make it fun. 

I try and go one a week to get my fix, which I know isn't loads but like Lily Pebbles said in her latest vlog, at least we're blooming doing something. I try to keep it regular but I'm not going to lie, it hasn't always been that easy. There are so many hurdles that have popped up which get me out of my routine and I the fear of exercise returns every time, but I guess after a couple of times of getting over it, you learn it's always worthwhile in the end. Especially if you're having fun doing it. 

Now I'm becoming a regular spinning fanatic, I think it's probably about time I up my game in the fitness department. I picked up what I wear to spin in a couple of years ago when I decided I wanted to start doing some fitness in my bedroom. That swiftly failed and they became unloved and pushed to the back of the drawer. They're from H&M and were incredible value but I'm on the hunt for something else. I've got a few sports bras already, I used to just wear my normal underwired bras spinning and because I've got small boobs I thought it wouldn't really make a difference.... But let me tell you, sports bras are life changing. If you know, you know. I've got tops, I've got trainers (though for Psycle, they give you special cleated shoes that snap into the bike to make it easier) but it's the workout leggings I'm really looking to upgrade. Mine have become a little thin, a little less form fitting and I really want to pick up a new pair. I've been a bit torn between getting something a little on the higher end of the market like Nike or Sweaty Betty or something a little more affordable (which is absolutely what my bank balance is edging me to go for. I am currently eyeing up the range at Manière De Voir. It looks really great quality and the prices are brilliant. I'm still deciding though, so watch this space to see what I go for... 

I know this post has been a bit of a corker, but this post has been a year in the making and I've been waiting for the right time and for the right words to come to me. But really, I just wanted to say that if I can get over my fitness fear, you can too. 

Lorna x

This post features a sponsored link from Manière De Voir but as always all thoughts are my own

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Introducing... Kiss The Moon

When I find a lesser known brand that I absolutely love, I just want to sing it from the rooftops. As a lot of people do, I often find myself sticking to the same brands, generally the brands everyone also sticks to but it's often when I veer away from that is when the gems really are found and I have to admit I really have done that with Kiss The Moon. 

From the beautiful packaging, to the products themselves I've truly fallen in love with the brand. I'm having a bit of a moment with products that help me to relax and get to sleep and Kiss The Moon is just that. It's a beautiful English brand that's driven by their passion to help us have a good nights sleep.

From facial oils and exfoliators to bath oils and relaxing candles, and from pillow mists to bedside balms, the brand covers all basis and has a 360 degree approach to help stop sleepless nights. In four different signature scents; Calm (with jasmine, chamomile, ylang ylang and sandalwood), Glow (orange, geranium, myrrh and litsea), Love (rose, frankincense, palmarosa and ylang ylang) and Dream (lavender, bergamot, cedarwood and chamomile) across the product range, there is a scent to suit everyone. I have to admit, I actually can't decide which is my favourite but love to use a cocktail of the different scents in the evening to help me relax. 

I start my little sleep ritual by lighting my Kiss The Moon Glow Aromatherapy Soy Candle, £38. This smells incredible, its warming but uplifting and it burns really well. For skincare, I add the Kiss The Moon Glow After Dark Face Polish, £30. It's a lovely facial exfoliant and the scent is great but for me, adding this step in gives me a little bit more time for me and I find that really relaxing. I make sure the final step in my routine is the Kiss The Moon Calm After Dark Facial Oil, £48. This really relaxes me and my skin can be really dry and this helps to add the moisture back in. I keep the Kiss The Moon Love After Dark Pillow Mist, £40 and Kiss The Moon Calm After Dark Balm, £16 on my bedside table and use this regularly. I absolutely adore everything I've tried for the brand. It feels luxurious, relaxing and feels incredible to be supporting a smaller brand that really deserves more recognition. If you try anything from the brand though, give the candles or pillow mists a go. They are just incredible... 

Founded by Jo Foster, from her need of getting her own sleep back on track (which I really resonate with!) in a world of deadlines and and jet lag - something which many struggle with. I had a chat with Jo to get the lowdown on the brand and find out a little about her beauty history... 

Lorna: Describe Kiss the Moon in under 10 words? 

Jo: Natural beauty & wellness products that help you sleep beautifully

L: How did Kiss the Moon come about? 

J: The idea behind Kiss the Moon was born at 36,000ft on a flight to Hong Kong. Sick of dealing with a career full of jetlag, crazy deadlines and the sleepless nights they bring, I decide I needed to find a way to get my beauty sleep back on track. Seeking something natural that could help look after both my sleep and her overnight skin needs and finding nothing that ticked all those boxes, I decided to invent her own solution. Kiss the Moon launched in 2014, initially with our range of aromatherapy based night-time face and bath oils and we’ve been growing ever since.

L:What was the first beauty product you ever bought? 

J: I dread to think. Probably some nasty watermelon flavoured lip gloss. But the first product I fell in love with was most definitely a mascara. Probably from Boots 17.

L: What is your first beauty memory? 

J: I remember when I was quite small, my Mum swore by a certain face cream and heard that it was being discontinued. I remember her look of horror and then a mad dash to Fenwick in Newcastle with her to buy all the jars she could find while she still could. I wasn’t sure what was going on exactly as I was so small, but I got the fact her beauty routine mattered to her big time.

L: What is your top beauty tip? 

J: Remember the simple things – sleep, fresh air, drinking enough water – they work like magic to keep your skin clear and glowing. And don’t forget to smile. It’s the ultimate beauty trick.

L: What is your favourite product from the range? 

J: It has to be the LOVE After Dark Face Oil. It contains Rose and Rosehip Oils so is loaded with anti-ageing properties and the aroma just makes me relax and feel contented in an instant. It’s my beauty sleep in a bottle.

L: What is your favourite beauty product (excluding Kiss the Moon)? 

J: I’m a little addicted to Aesop’s Resurrection Handwash. I have bottles parked next to all the sinks in my home. Just think how many times we wash our hands in an average day. I figure I might as well use something I really get pleasure from using. Our hands deserve so much more love than we tend to give them. I think they have earned a daily beauty treat or two.

L: What is the best piece of beauty advice you’ve ever been given?

J: It’s another one from my Mum – when I was a teenager she told me to spend as much money as I could afford on decent face products. Clever lady.

L: What can we expect from Kiss the Moon in the future? 

J: 2016 is going to be a tough year to better. We were awarded Best New British Brand in the Pure Beauty Awards last month and have started working with some great new retailers and launched two new products (our GLOW After Dark Face Polish and our Aromatherapy Soy Candles). So it has been an amazing 12 months for us. Next year we have two more exciting new launches planned and an ambition to grow our fan base so we become known as the first port of all for people wanting to dial up the quality of their beauty sleep. Whenever we get feedback from someone who has had trouble sleeping and they tell us our products have made a difference it makes the whole thing worthwhile. So we’d love to keep on creating products that deliver on that. That would definitely keep us happy for 2017.

Lorna x

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Christmas Gift Guide For Him

Buying gifts for men at Christmas time can be the biggest bane of my life. The men generally buy what they want throughout the year so that leaves very little for me to pick up for them to put under the tree. The one thing however I do find they rarely treat themselves too is nice beauty gifts. I think the word beauty generally puts them off a little and if I'm honest, a lot of them generally don't know where to even start. That's where I come in at Christmas as I always pick up my favourite grooming products at this time of year (with a few other bits thrown in for good measure) as I know they wouldn't treat themselves to it - and I know they blooming love it too. 

When it comes to skincare, whether the men in your life know what they're doing and already have a stash or are at quite the other end of the spectrum and need a place to start then picking them up a thing or two is a great option. If you're on a budget then I'd recommend having a look at Nivea Men. They have some great options but if this is what you're going to go for I'd recommend keeping it simple and sticking to the Nivea Men Creme, £5 and the Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm, £5.29. Again if you're under a budget, Bulldog Skincare for Men is great. Again, I'd recommend keeping it simple and either pick up one of their gift sets as the packaging is lovely or stick to the Bulldog Face Wash, £4.50 Bulldog Face Scrub, £5 and the Bulldog Original Moisturiser, £6. They are so great for the price and look and feel far more expensive. 

If you've looking for something a little more luxurious then I've got a few incredible brands for you to choose from. Liz Earle are generally my go-to and I always pick up the men in my life their Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser for Men, £15.50 and if the men in your life haven;t tried it then you need to get them one, but if they have then I've got a few other brands I'd recommend giving a go too. 

The Clarins for Men range is incredible. From their male friendly packaging to the quality of the products, I just know (and my boyfriend wholly agrees) that anyone would be lucky to find this under the tree. They have an great extensive range, but if you're not sure what they like (or if they're not sure what they like!) then I'd recommend keeping it simple again with the Clarins Men Exfoliating Cleanser, £21.50, the Clarins Men Active Face Wash Foaming Gel, £19.50 and the Clarins Men Moisture Balm, £29.

Neville is a really great option too. I fell in love with the brand when I saw their barbers in the Barber and Parlour in Shoreditch and the branding on their skincare is absolutely on point too. I recommend picking up the Neville Rescue Scrub, £22 and the Neville Face Reviver, £25.

My last individual product recommendations of this sort come from Origins. Again another skincare brand I swear by personally and their products that work for men also don't disappoint. With this in mind, I'd recommend picking up the Origins Blade Runner Energising Shave Cream, £15 and the Origins Charcoal Body Wash, £19. 

Onto my favourite skincare gift sets and another of my favourite brands and the Cowshed Bullocks Grooming Gift Set, £35. The beautifully packaged set includes a body wash, face scrub and moisturiser. I adore cowshed products, they are super luxurious and the range for men are no different. 

Aesop is another one of my all time favourite skincare brands and I could reel off for days my favourite products but one thing I've noticed too is that men absolutely adore them too. Whether they've tried them before or eye up the packaging, Men always seem to be drawn to it. They really know how to do Christmas gift sets well and I really recommend picking up the Aesop The Intrepid Gent set, £65 if your budget suits. It really has the wow factor when you open it and the products are so beautiful. This gift set includes their fabulous face cleanser, Moroccan neroli post shave balm and the coriander seed body cleanser all in their iconic packaging.

Know a beardy man? Know a man that shaves? Just know a man? Chances are they've got to shave. If they like a clean wet shave, then I'd recommend keeping it simple with the Gilette Fusion ProShield Chill, £12 or for something a little different the EvoShave razors. If they're a little more beardy and like to keep it that way, then I'd really recommend the Wahl Beard Trimmer, £44.99.

If you don't want to hit just skincare, or body care etc. there are some sets that hit a few and I really recommend them. My favourites this year are the Jack Wills Boxer & Toiletries Gift Set, £20 as it comes with super useful products - boxers, body spray and body was - everybody uses them and the packaging is great and the Crabtree & Evelyn Morrocan Myrrh Traveller Gift Set, £24 also. This gift set is so beautiful. The packaging makes it feel so special and the tin gift set includes a mini hair & body wash, mini cologne, mini shave cream and mini after shave balm - and it smells incredible!

Fragrance for men is something I always pick up this time of year for gifting as again I think its one of those things you kind of feel reluctant to pick up yourself but adore having it so perfect for Christmas. My picks this year are the Zadig & Voltaire This Is Him! EDP, £40, YSL L'Homme EDT, £40 (you can also get matching body wash and after shave balm if you really want to treat them), the Dunhill London Icon Elite, £77 and the Azzaro Wanted Gift Set, £49. They all smell incredible and feel super luxurious. If you do however have a bit of a bigger budget and want to pick up a fragrance that really is luxurious, then I'd really recommend the Yves Saint Laurent Le Vestaire Des Perfumes Tuxedo, £195. This is a unisex fragrance, but for me it's a little more on the masculine side but the quality of the fragrance itself is what blows me away - it lasts all day long and the packaging is so luxurious too.


If you didn't want to get a beauty gift, then I'd recommend either going down the food or tech options. Crabtree & Evelyn do some really beautiful foodie gifts and I usually end up picking up some of their shortbread for someone, this year their beautiful Crabtree & Evelyn Star Shortbread Biscuits, £8 as they taste incredible and come in the most beautiful packaging. Tech wise - I'd really recommend what I picked up my boyfriend this year for his birthday as I absolutely fell in love with it. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 in black, £119. I adore instant cameras and this one looks so cool. Really recommend it!

If I don't speak to you beforehand guys, have the best Christmas!

Lorna x

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Christmas Gift Guide For Her: High end luxury beauty

The last in my Christmas gifts for her series and this time the guide is for those are feeling spendy. If you want to pick up a treat for someone that really deserves something special (and of course, you've got the budget for it) then I think I might have a treat or two right up your street. In this gift guide I'm talking the budget of over (around) £50. 

There are some of the most incredible and luxurious launches from some of my favourite brands this year and I've rounded up a few of my favourites... 

When it comes to skincare, 2016 has introduced me to one of my now, favourite skincare brands, Aurelia Skincare. I have absolutely fallen in love with the brand. From the packaging, to the quality of the products themselves, they are just incredible. I swear by the cleanser but I have fallen in love with the Aurelia Repair & Revitalise Gift Set, £60 this Christmas. The set all encased in their beautiful packaging features a mini moisturiser, full size night time facial oil and the most beautiful makeup bag. 

If you've been dying to try the Ole Henriksen skincare range, know someone that is or just know that someone would like the range, then the Ole Henriksen love the 3 little wonders set, £55.25 is perfect. The set includes the sheer transform, truth serum collagen booster and the invigorating night treatment. Really recommend this range! 

Next up in terms of skincare is from one of my all time favourite skincare brands Liz Earle and includes some of my absolute favourite products from them. The Liz Earle Superskin Superstars set, £80 is really incredible. The set includes the superskin serum, superskin eye cream and superskin concentrate for night, all worth £125 so such a bargain when you look at it this way. I absolutely adore these products and can't recommend giving them a go any more. The products are beautiful and the packaging is too. 

Cleansing brushes have been discussed and discussed for so long and Christmas is the perfect time to pick one up for someone that deserves a treat. I've fallen in love with the design of the Magnitone Barefaced! Vibra-Sonic Cleansing Brush by Heather Marten, £70. It's so beautiful, it works really well and comes with a free shower hammock for easy use. I am obsessed. 

For relaxing, Kiss The Moon is one of my absolute favourite brands and I have fallen in love with them this year too. They have the most beautiful gift sets, to the point where it was actually incredibly hard to choose my favourite but I went for the Kiss The Moon Calm Beauty Queen Gift Set, £68 and much like Aurelia, this brand is packaged so well. It includes a full size calm facial oil and the most beautiful cashmere and silk sleep mask by Row Pinto. It all feels incredibly luxurious and will be well needed when January comes around and we all need to catch up on our sleep. 

If you know someone that loves products to help them sleep or struggles to sleep, then another brand to think about is most definitely This Works. It's one of my absolute favourite brands right (I know I keep saying it but, really) and I swear by their pillow spray. The This Works The Big Sleep set, £70 literally features full size products of all of the sleep product you would ever want to try from the brand including the softest sleep mask. 

I absolutely adore Illamasqua  for makeup gifting as they group their incredible products together so well. My pick this year is the Illamasqua Chisel and Glow gift set, £50. It's in the most beautiful packaging and features everything you need to create a beautiful contour and highlight. The set includes the Gel Sculpt, Gleam Cream in Aurora and the Round Buffing Brush. I love each of these products and having them in the set is super cool.

If you've got a bigger budget, fragrance is generally my go-to. I have got quite the selection of fragrance (and favourites in the process) but have narrowed down my picks to a few - though I want to write a run down on my fragrance collection soon to give you the lowdown on all of the scents I love but for now I'll keep it as short and sweet as possible. 

Another brand that 2016 has brought into my life is Clean Reserve. From the packaging, to the scent and to the incredible quality of the fragrance, I am just obsessed. I have the Clean Reserve Rain EDP, £79 and the Clean Reserve Blonde Rose EDP, £79 and both are super different to anything I've ever smelt before. Generally I am drawn to more unique fragrances and these are definitely that. You can pick them up in Space NK and I really recommend them. 

The Zadig & Voltaire This Is Her! EDP, £52 for 50ml is another new fragrance I'm obsessed with. Again it's a little on the unique side and the packaging is super cool and unique too. If you're looking for something to buy a couple, they do a matching This Is Him! fragrance too (my boyfriend has this and it's so lovely) so is such a treat for them both. The fragrance reminds me of the summer and I just know it's going to be my go-to once the sun starts shining again. 

If you don't really know what kind of fragrance the person you would be buying for would like going for something a little more for everyone could be a good idea. I've got a few fragrances that just about anyone would like, and they look truly beautiful too. These are the YSL Black Opium EDT, £54 YSL Mon Paris EDP, £66 Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence EDP, £64 and the Calvin Klein Deep Euphoria, £38.

Lorna x

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Christmas gift guide for her: luxury beauty over £30

Whether you're looking to spend not so much or a little more this Christmas I've got you covered. In this post I'm talking the high end, but if you really want extra luxury keep your eyes peeled for my super luxury high end gifts for her guide coming up shortly. This post features gifts from around £30 to around £50. So if you've got a lucky gal to buy for this year and that's within your budget, read on...

One of my favourite brands at Christmas time is most definitely Aromatherapy Associates. Every year they absolutely nail their Christmas gift sets and in turn I of course, rave about them each time. My pick of their sets this year is the Aromatherapy Associates Pure Indulgence Set, £45 as it gives you a chance to try out a lot of the products from the brand and give yourself or someone else a 360 degree pamper. The set features a mini shower and bath oil, full size shower gel, mini body oil and mini candle - and they all smell incredible. If you're looking for something at the lower end of the £30-£50 budget, then the Aromatherapy Associates Star Jewels set, £34 with 3 of their bath and shower oils in is a great option too. Plus the packaging is truly gorgeous!

If you know someone that travels all the time, then I have the most perfect gift set for them. The Weleda Three Drawer Gift Set, £30.95 is an incredible option. The gift set has super cool packaging and is set out in three drawers and each drawer is filled with mini shower gels, body lotions and body/massage oils. They are all in a range of scents and smell incredible. If you're looking for something that's a little bigger however, and is a total treat then the Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Body Duo, £37 is incredible. If you love a rose scent or know someone that does, then you need to get your hands on this as the products (and packaging) are truly amazing. 

Onto skincare, and Pai is absolutely one of my favourite skincare brands at the moment. Much along with my love of Liz Earle, anyone I've got to try the brand has loved it just as much as I do. The Pai Everyday Hero Collection, £38 is a great opener to the brand as you get a full size cleanser, rosehip oil and mini day moisturiser. The products are super gentle, so work incredibly well for just about anyone, even those with sensitive skin. 

Onto makeup and Urban Decay is one of those brands that just remind me of Christmas. This is partly down to my Dad picking me up one of their palettes every year for the last few years but also just because I would always want to find a little something something from them underneath the tree. This year, I've gone a little off piste from my usual natural Urban Decay Naked Palettes and am obsessed with the Urban Decay Full Spectrum Palette, £43. Their palettes are always in the most incredible packaging and the pigment and buttery blend ability of the shadows themselves are always incredible.  

If you're after something a little more natural then this year I am obsessed with the Clarins Festive Eye Palette, £35. These shadows are super wearable and take you from day to night perfectly. If brows are their thing, then my go-to this year is the High Definition Brow Essentials set, £49. They were the brand that got me into brows years ago so seeing their rebrand in this beautiful set is just perfect. 

If you want a palette that does a bit of everything, perfect if you're really not sure if they prefer eyes, lips or colour etc. then the PUR Cosmetics Love Your Selfie 2, £34 is a great option. I love the quality of PUR products as they are always so incredible for the price and this palette is incredibly wearable. It features 8 eyeshadows, a lipgloss, mascara, blush, bronzer and highlighter - a brilliant look in a palette and I am obsessed with it. If you're after something for someone that knows their brands and has very specific (but wearable) tastes, then the Burberry Complete Eye Palette in Gold Shimmer, £40 is just perfect. The packaging is incredibly luxurious but the palette works well all year round. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I'm a bit of a Liz Earle advocate. I swear they can do no wrong in my eyes. I've adored the brand since I got into beauty and it has followed me through every year and when it comes to their Christmas launches they blow me away time after time. They have so many incredible sets but for this gift guide I've chosen the Liz Earle Botanical Collection in Soothing Lavender, £32.50. This set is perfect for a pamper as the lavender scent is incredibly relaxing. It features a body cream, hand cream and super cute Liz Earle notebook that's perfect if you know someone that adores Liz Earle too. 

Fragrance is one of my favourite things at this time of year. I've narrowed down my recommendations but if you're not sure, then definitely go and give them a good sniff to see which you're favourites are.  Fragrance sets are always a lovely lovely idea and my picks this year for this guide is firstly the Mugler Angel Gift Set, £45. Not only does it look beautiful but it features the fragrance, body lotion and shower gel. This is very much a cult favourite fragrance, so if you know someone that loves it then you need to get them this. 

If you're looking for a gift set that has a bit of an extra wow factor, Ghost are absolutely nailing it this year and I just can't get over the prices for the beautiful sets. The Ghost 'the Fragrance' EDT Christmas Gift Set, £36 and the Ghost Sweetheart EDT Christmas Gift Set, £36 both feature the full size fragrance, mini fragrance, mini candle, makeup bag, nail polish and hand lotion but the thing that gets me is the incredible packaging and the price. Highly recommend these! 

If you've got someone that's a little younger, and prefer picking up a fragrance on its own, then within the budget I'd recommend having a look at the Nicki Minaj Trini Girl Fragrance, £30 for any Nicki Minaj fans out there or the Juicy Couture 'I Love Juicy Couture', £37 is another great option for its super cute packaging. 

On the other side of the fragrance spectrum, I am absolutely hooked on home fragrance and I'm always torn between reed diffusers and candles but this year, I've chosen my favourite of both and on the Reed Diffuser side, I really recommend having a look at the Rathbornes reed diffusers as the quality and packaging is incredible for the price. My pick is the Rathborne Reed Diffuser in Dublin Tea Rose, Oud & Patchouli reed diffuser, £38. It smells incredible and is a really beautiful addition to your home decor. I adore using a festive candle at this time of year and the Annick Goutal Petit Cherie Candle, £45 is perfect as its festive enough to use now but also to take you throughout the year too. 

Lorna x

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