UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

Male Christmas Guide 2016 // Lucyy Writes

Why are men so difficult to buy for? Each year still remains a struggle, not wanting to be a bore by sticking to the same old type of presents & don't even get me started on Secret Santa's. Despite the unwritten rule of December - not to buy much or anything at all, they still go on ordering oblivious to the fact you may have wanted to get them similar for Christmas. If you too have a difficult male to buy for hopefully something below will be the perfect fit & you can always check out my 2015 Christmas Male Gift Guide here for a little extra help.
an image of my huge Male Christmas Guide 2016
Firstly you can't go wrong with a whole load of chocolate to fill the stockings or make a gift up. Here I have a giant chocolate coin, American sweet treats, terry's chocolate orange, novelty Christmas puddings & of course the king of all chocolates - Monty Bojangles - which are 3 for 2 this year in Boots. You seriously need to try them. Amazing.
an image of food Male Christmas Guide 2016
an image of Chanel Male Christmas Guide 2016
an image of stocking filler Male Christmas Guide 2016
Fragrance wise, it's all about Chanel Bleu, it smells incredible & who wouldn't love to see this under their tree feat Chanel's beautiful wrapping. Boots have been incredible for offers this year fragrance wise. Following on with the 'beauty' topic, we have the incredible magnesium spray by Better You both myself and my Dad swear by for aches & pains, only this time in miniature form and in sensitive. This is to go in my Dad's stocking as a little extra, along with the Amaretto Lip Balm from Crazy Rumours. Both can be found in Holland & Barrett's.
an Image of my fashion Male Christmas Guide 2016
an image of my Male Christmas Guide 2016
Fashion wise, men can be blooming hard! Here I have a leather travel bag from Jasper Conran found in Debenham's. This is pricey but again with the recent deals if you have someone who travels a lot with work it's a great gift - plus if they're visiting for the holidays they can take their stuff home without the hassle of extra bags. You can't have Christmas without a novelty tee whether it's sleeping off one too many drinks OR for Christmas PJ's. I picked up the fabulous instagram themed ELF t-shirt in Matalan but Elf merchandise is everywhere this year. Other gifts to keep in mind are just some basics like the Armani t-shirts my Dad is obsessed with. I gave him a pack last year, he wears them underneath so much & this was probably the only thing he asked for this year - though he's got a whole tonne of stuff to make up for working all day Christmas Day and Boxing day.
an image of Male Christmas Guide 2016
an image of Male Christmas Guide 2016
I feel like food is always a good topic to head to for guys, Nando's always have great gift sets to keep in mind - with incredible offers in a lot of stores. Here I have their hottest selection, perfect for my friend who loves both nandos, hot food and a long running joke I won't get into. Again, fun mugs are always something to look out for, especially for office secret Santa's. I now have the tradition of picking out a 'heat changing' mug for my brother each year, I've so far done Pacman, Tetris and maybe another but this year I've gone for the classic Harry Potter. Also, mug and cup wise, we have the Cup & Saucer set* from I Just Love It featured in my last blog post.
an image of Male Christmas Guide 2016
Tech wise, depending on your budget there's a tablet out there for everyone. However we all have enough tech and apple products in our household and so this year the Kindle Fire takes the hot spot in which we've purchased for my Grandad. He'd taken over my Grandmas Samsung Tablet but he definitely doesn't get along with it. Here's to hoping that his use of a paper white and the previous tablet will make this a breeze for him.
an image of Male Christmas Guide 2016
And lastly, one item that's been purchased not once, but three times in our household for various people this Christmas....the official Emoji Card Game. There are so many Emoji games out there, this one in my opinion seems to be the best & selling out fast. I've had this for a month or so, where Next were the only stockist not charging an extortionate amount for it. If you're looking for a secret Santa, difficult friend or some fun after Christmas dinner this is the one.

Are you too struggling on what to buy for the males in your life this Christmas? Lucy xx
Disclaimer: some items have been sent for review consideration*

Personalise Christmas with I Just Love It

Can anyone tell me where the rest of December went? Time is flying by, especially when you're behind on your gift guides, though thanks to speedy shipping there's still plenty of time to turn last minute gifts into something a little more special. I've teamed up with I Just Love It, the Aladdin's Cave of personalised gifts, to bring you my top picks whether it be for the festive season or perhaps a little treat for yourself.
an image of Christmas with I Just Love It
an image of Christmas with I Just Love It
The first item to catch my eye was the Personalised Christmas Cake Tin (which you may have seen on my Instagram Stories). If you've followed my blog for a number of years you'll know I love to bake and can't wait to spend the majority of next week baking sweet for all my family and close friends. Measuring 18.5cm by 18.5cm, the tin is still perfectly sized for filling with treats for a loved one. The tin can be personalised with any message of your choice, this tin has three lines for you to fill. I decided to follow suit to the picture on site by adding the family surname, though ditching the established year and mince pie banner for something more suited. We're all a big fan of the simple white design, holly leaf and bold black text. When I spotted this tin I just knew it had to feature on LW, whilst the tin is smaller than every other tin I have in the house, it's the perfect size for one particular item I bake religiously when it comes to special occasions - my ultra cheesy, chorizo pastry's. I'll be sending my Dad off to work on Christmas Day with this festive tin now that his colleague is obsessed with them as much as we all are. The guys have gotta be treated well when they're to work 12 hour shifts all over Christmas. Whilst I may be later sharing the tin on LW, there are still OTHER regular tins which may be better suited for gifting available on the site, whether it be Christmas & Birthdays. At £19.99 the tin is certainly more than your regular tin, but this is something I'll be excited to pull out year after year.
an image of Christmas with I Just Love It christmas tin
an image of I just love it Christmas baking tin
Another item I was very lucky enough to receive which you'll see cropping up on LW & have seen on Instagram Stories, is my very own Christmas Engraved Spoon. This retails for £6.99, though if you've missed the shipping date you'll be pleased to know that you can also buy regular versions of engraved spoons - perhaps a better idea so you're loved one can use it all year round. The spoons engraving is some of the best I've seen, there's no way this spoon will be ruined. Made from high quality beechwood this is the perfect gift for a budding baker.
an image of I just love it Christmas wooden spoon
an image of Christmas with I Just Love It cup and saucer
My last item I can't stop raving about is this Monogrammed Cup & Saucer, in which I've used my Grandad's initials as a little extra for him. He insists on drinking coffee out of a tea cup, even if the mug is fine china, it has to be a tea cup. The quality again is superb, whether it be the cup, saucer or the printing. There's not a single fault. The Cup and Saucer are fine china, dish washer safe and can have up to three initials incorporated into the design. This would be a great gift to keep in mind for up-coming birthdays, house warming & more. With Urgent Delivery, there's still time to have one whipped up, not to mention still an incredible amount of gifts on offer from I Just Love It.

Have you heard of I Just Love It? I can't recommend checking out the site enough, the selection of gifts, not to mention the quality and speed of all personalisation is fantastic. Lucy xxx
Disclaimer: all items sent for review consideration 

Lush // Yog Log Roulade review

One thing you may find hard to believe is that for the majority of this year I've actually used far more shower products from Lush than I have enjoyed a relaxing soak with a bath bomb or two. With the current festive line, heading into it's final month I thought it was about time I share my love for this years new addition Yog Log Roulade (£5.95 per 100g).
an image of Lush Yog Log Shower Roulade
For those who aren't familiar with Lush's Shower Roulades, they reside in the shower smoothie and conditioner range though instead of being a thick cream packaged in a famous black pot, you buy this product by the slice. You use a Roulade in the same way as soap, create a thick, creamy lather before rinsing. Though with a Roulade/Shower Smoothie you save on the need to moisturise after your bath/shower. There has been a number of Roulades since the big Oxford Street launch, as well as last years festive roulade (The Icing on the Cake review here).  I absolutely loved last years festive Roulade, so hearing Lush would be launching one in my favourite scent (Yog Nog) I couldn't wait to jump into the shower. 
an image of Lush Yog Log Shower Roulade
As mentioned Yog Log uses the mouth watering scent of Yog Nog soap & bath bomb. The overall fragrance is a comforting Caramel & Toffee followed by the warmth of Clove Oil & delicate Ylang Ylang. The Roulade itself is packed with Cocoa Butter and Coconut Oil, whilst the 'rind' of the product uses Fresh Honeydew Melon Pulp. I have to say this years Roulades really have improved, the texture is softer without falling apart or turning into a big squidgy mess. The rind has also improved, it really holds the product together and dissolves along with the product. Value for money I purchased a 100g bar which was used most mornings, this lasted for 2-3 weeks. I didn't experience any drying of the skin, neither did my skin feel sticky. Previous Smoothies have left my skin with a residue rather than hydrating. I'm pleased to report Yog Log Roulade left my skin feeling incredibly clean, hydrated and scented with the absolutely incredible Yog Nog scent I adore so much. If you're looking for a shower product that's a little out of the ordinary to brighten these freezing winter mornings, or perhaps as a Secret Santa or Stocking Filler Yog Log is the product for the job.
Have you tried any of this years festive line up yet? What's on your Christmas list? Lucy x
Disclaimer: own purchase

Blogmas 2016 // Aspire Drinks review

Happy December 1st! I can't believe how fast December has crept upon us. Whilst I've been pretty quiet on LW recently I'm hoping to jump right back into things, because we all know how much I live for Christmas. I'll be sharing the best of the best, gift guides and product reviews, not forgetting... my annual Christmas Lush Dupes. Today however I'm sharing two tea based drinks from Aspire, perfect for the times you can't have a festive tipple.
an image of aspire drinks
As someone who loves finding new cold tea brands, I hadn't stumbled across Aspire drinks before despite them being available from selected supermarkets, Holland & Barrett and Amazon. Aspire Drinks are classed as a healthy energy drink, being green tea based and each of the three flavours available being free from sugar, calories & carbs. These deliciously refreshing drinks are sparkling based, a healthier alternative to some of your regular fizzy drinks on the market & a hell of a lot healthier than the alcoholic drinks poured this festive season.
an image of aspire drinks
One of the easiest ways to improve your diet/health can be as simple as replacing your regular fizzy drinks, with a healthier alternative like Aspire Drinks to avoid all the hidden sugar content. With three fruity flavours, each has been designed to avoid the daily sugar crash delivering a taste sensation of either Cranberry, Apple & Acai OR Mango Lemonade, all in 250ml (£1.85) cans - perfect for on the go, whether it's last minute Christmas Shopping, helping towards the New Years Resolution or for the designated driver.
an image of aspire drinks
Out of the two flavours sent (Apple + Acai as well as Cranberry), I have to say my favourite was surprisingly Cranberry. I always avoid cranberry based drinks, yet this just didn't seem so bad, perhaps this is down to the sparkling side of the drinks. Both drinks are red, exceptionally bubbly & brilliant for those who can't enjoy an alcoholic drink over the festive period and don't want to feel left out. Nobody would know the difference when comparing glasses. What are your go to non-alcoholic drinks for the party season? Lucy x
Disclaimer: PR SAMPLES
© Lucyy Writes

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