A Creative Lifestyle Blog By Zoe-Lee Skelton

Feeling Festive With Prestige Christmas Hampers Review

Things are starting to feel festive in my household. The tree went up on the 1st December (the earliest it’s ever been up in our house) and I’ve managed to purchase three quarters of my Christmas gifts for friends and family. This is possibly the most organised I’ve ever been. Must be getting old.

To kick off the first of my Christmas posts, I’ll be reviewing this beautiful Christmas Hamper from Prestige Gifts:

I enjoy receiving a hamper as a present because they’re a gift of multiple things and usually contain something you haven’t tried before. In mine, I received:

  • Eton Mess White Chocolate
  • A Chilean Merlot
  • English tea
  • marshmallows (not vegetarian unfortunately)
  • dark chocolate and orange shortbread
  • Milk chocolate and orange traditionally made biscuits (in a cute red hessian sack)
  • Marinated olives with chili and black pepper
  • Milk chocolate bar
  • Highland Oatcakes

Pretty much everything ticked the right boxes for me, apart from the marshmallows which aren’t vegetarian but these were happily received by other family members. And, there was plenty of other things that are top of my list such as the chocolate and the olives.

The dark chocolate with orange shortbread has been a new discovery for me. I’ve never been a fan of shortbread as I didn’t like the texture and felt it was bland, but nontraditional varieties seem to be more palatable.

I’ve been drinking the English tea most mornings but kept a few in reserve for the Christmas break as it’s really nice but quite scarce now with only ten bags in the box.

In all, this is something I’d like to receive and to give as a gift because it introduces you to new flavours and brands you wouldn’t usually find at your local supermarket. Plus, the produce you receive is something that you can snack on throughout the days or over a holiday. I know we’ll all be using the oatcakes for the cheeseboard which is something we’re really looking forward to. Who doesn’t like a cheeseboard at Christmas?

If you’re thinking of gifting someone you know with a Prestige Hamper, take a look at their Christmas Hampers range. There’s many combinations and varieties to chose from including port and cheese, fresh deli hampers, chocolate and wine and much more. With price ranges to suit all budgets.

 

Merry Christmas x

Halloween DIY: Papier-Mâché Pumpkin Trick Or Treat Bowl

It’s my favourite time of year. Everything is covered in cob web and there’s so much spooky stuff on the TV.

As the 31st isn’t too far away I decided to post a quick DIY for you: a papier-mache pumpkin bowl. It’s cool because trick and treaters have to reach into the pumpkin’s mouth to get their treat

Here’s what you’ll need:

Clockwise from the top left:

  1. A blown up balloon – you’ll probably be able to blow yours up bigger. I have a weird fear of balloons popping in my face
  2. torn up tissue paper in black
  3. torn up newspaper
  4. Orange paint
  5. PVA glue
  6. a paintbrush
  7. a scalpel
  8. a black marker pen

Step One – first layer of black tissue paper

Water down a big blob of your PVA glue in a container and start painting on the black tissue paper over the balloon. I did two layers and had to wait for the first one to dry. Use a hair dryer if you’re in a rush

Step Two – layer up with newspaper

Once your layers of black tissue paper are dry, begin painting on the newspaper with the glue. Again use the hairdryer if you’re getting impatient. I did three layers of this and then waited until it was dry.

Step Three – pop the balloon and use the orange paint

Once dry, I stuck a needle through the newspaper and popped the balloon. I then painted the newspaper structure in an orange. And again the trusty hairdryer can help speed this up. I had to do two coats until I could no longer see the newspaper.

Step Four – draw the face

Draw a large open mouth shape at the bottom broader end of the balloon shape. I also drew and coloured in two eye shapes and a triangle nose to create the face.

Step Five – cut out the mouth

Use a scalpal to cut out the mouth of the pumpkin. You might need some scissors to get the jagged edges looking crisper.

Step Six – Put some sweets or chocolate inside the pumpkin

Here’s the result of mine below:

I’ve filed up my pumpkin with Cadbury’s Goo Heads but any type of sweet or chocolate will fit. And it’s reusable and refillable.

Have you made anything for Halloween? Link me in the comments.

 

5 Steps to a Comfortable Home

When you own a home, you will want to make it as comfortable as possible. Whether it is to cater to guests or to provide some true comfort on cold, winter nights, it can be tricky to find the time to make it feel the way you wish. In some cases, a comfortable home is essential to maintaining your mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, it can sometimes take a living space a long while before it begins to feel like a home. Luckily, there are lots of small but crucial steps you can take, which will help your home feel more comfortable in no time.

Keep it personal

It is easy to get swept away with fashionable décor and minimalist furniture, but this can sometimes remove personality from a home. Personal items and family photographs are the most important parts of someone’s life, and they can act as a huge helping hand when you are in a dark place. Although you should be sure to keep clutter to a minimum, having your personal items placed in visible locations can bring an undeniable warmth to any room.

Consider renovation

Often, it is the layout of a space which prevents it from feeling comfortable. Contrary to what people may assume, an open living space can feel more comforting than numerous separate rooms. This is one of the biggest attractions of renovating a space. After you have had the construction work done, you can clear the rubble and debris by looking into post construction in Orange Country NY, 261 Liberty St, Newburgh NY 12550 or beyond. Here, you can get help from companies like America’s Cleaning Service to get your dream home back on track.

Use a warm colour scheme

Living in a home with stark colours can make people feel more out of place than comfortable. Ideally, you should be looking at warm tones to decorate your home with. Such colours look especially inviting with natural light, or when soft lamps are switched on. You can choose to run with a neutral colour, such as cream. Some people even choose to have a feature wall with brighter colours or patterned wallpaper to add some more personality to a room.

Invest in soft textiles

It is no surprise that soft textiles like blankets and cushions are one of the biggest keys to a comfortable home. In each room, you should use a variety of textures to help it look cosy and warm. In winter months, these textiles are an integral part of ensuring a great sleep and relaxing leisure time. While some people choose to make some furnishings at home, others prefer to shop at bespoke or vintage stores for a range of options.

Try aromatherapy

There is a lot of scepticism surrounding aromatherapy, despite science backing how certain scents can invoke certain moods. Essential oils such as lavender and chamomile are known for inducing a restful sleep, and clove or ginger oils are perfect in winter for helping people feel warm. To feel the most benefits, add a small essential oils diffuser to each room in your home, or purchase some scented candles.

 

Cruelty-Free Skincare I’ve Loved This Summer

You may remember I recently blogged about cruelty-free skincare I had been disappointed with this summer. I promised to follow-up with some products I loved and here it is!

1. HEVL SPF 50 Face Creme*

I was recently sent this Triple spectrum SPF to try from Skin Shop and it comes in my favourite vampire SPF, factor 50. As I’ve recently said before, I wear factor 50 year round and that’s because I have very fair skin and prone to freckles.

I was intrigued to try this because this sun cream protects against a third harmful ray as well as the usual UVA and UVB, and that’s High Energy Visible Light (HEVL). It’s the lesser known ray but it can be just as harmful as UVA and UVB combined. It’s one of the first skincare products developed in the UK that protects against HEVL and contains prebiotics to strengthen and maintain the skin’s natural barrier. I actually found this sunscreen to be very light wearing and thanks to the skin coloured tint I didn’t look like a ghost.

It’s also 100% vegan and free from my nemesis SLS. It’s currently £19.95 from Skin Shop which I feel is reasonable as I usually pay more for my usual factor 50 face cream.

2. Isle of Paradise Happy Tan Gradual Glow

I  didn’t get on with the facial tanning oil from the same company, but I was very impressed with the gradual tan for body. I mainly use it to top up my fake tan on my extremities, as I wash my hands so often, my fake tan disappears here pretty fast so I use this to replace my ususal hand moisturirser. I found the colour to be natural looking and didn’t have that horrid fake tan smell.

You can pick this up from Boots for £14.95

3. NATorigin Lengthening Mascara

Yes, I’m still using this and I’m going to continue to praise this mascara forever more because it is the BEST organic and cruelty-free mascara you will EVER use. If you have incredibly sensitive eyes like me then your peepers will thank you for using this. No matter how much you layer up with this mascara it comes off so easily – even with warm water. And during the heatwave it didn’t budge so it stood up to high temperatures really well. It also doesn’t flake or go clumpy like most of the other natural mascaras I’ve used. And if long lashes are your goal then this ticks that box too.

You can get it here for £15.95

4. ASOS Crayola Mascara and Face Crayon

The ASOS and Crayola collab was something my inner child had dreamed of. I bought the mascara in black and the face crayon in the Nutcracker shade which I’ve used as an eye shadow and eyeliner. For either use you’ll need a primer but I love the summery sheen the nutcracker shade gave my eyes and the mascara performed really well at lengthening my eyelashes.

You can pick up both from ASOS here

5. Vita Liberata Self-Tanning Anti-Aging Facial Serum

This is my luxe facial tanning product and my staple for the summer months. I don’t get on too well with using self-tans for the body on my face as I have sensitive skin. This serum when mixed with your face cream builds a natural-looking bronze glow and didn’t leave brown patches around my eyebrows and hairline. It works really well to keep your face moisturised too.

It’s a little pricey but that’s because it’s good. I get mine from Boots, here for £30.00

6. Too Faced Chocolate Gold Eye Shadow Palette

If I could only own one eye shadow palette for the rest of my life it would be this. I’ve always steered towards shimmer eye shadows over matt and this palette has plenty of them. I love the golds, browns and pinks and the coverage is really bold and saturated. With a primer underneath they really pop. And the best bit is that every time you open the palette you’re greeted with a delicious chocolate smell.

I originally bought this to go with my outfit for the Debenhams #OnTheRunTour PR night and it’s been my go to ever since.

You can get this from Debenhams for £39.00

 

*I was sent the HEVL spf face cream to review from SkinShop but all views are my own on this product.

 

 

Fashion Colour Crush: Rust

I’m not sure if it’s because Autumn is in the air or because I’ve changed my hair colour but I’m really loving burnt oranges and rust coloured clothing right now. There’s lots more of this colour creeping into the high street edits which I’m really pleased about.

There are so many shades of rust too; some darker and robust, others are lighter and pastel coloured. I want them all!

Such is my colour crush that I’ve created a pinterest board of my favourite bits and pieces from the net and stores.

I’ll be adding to this daily so feel free to go over and follow my board.

In terms of must-have pieces that I’ll likely be picking up when that pay check hits my account, here are my top five:

  1. This simple long sleeved staple from Miss Selfridge, I love the lettuce effect and black thread running through it
  2. This corduroy skirt from Topshop. It’s actually part of a co ord but I’m not down with the matchy-matchy yet.
  3. This belted THICK cord jacket from Monki (get it on ASOS). It looks so cosy and will literally go with anything.
  4. This slouchy knit jumper from New Look. It’s also got a few other colours woven in which I love!
  5. These super skinny corduroy jeans from New Look. These will look amazing with a western style black belt.

I’ve not added a dress to my top five which is a little strange but most likely because the temperature has really dropped this past week.

How about your top fashion picks? Have you got any rust coloured clothing in there?