Christmas Gift Guide: Estée Lauder

With Christmas around the corner, companies are gearing up to ram their gift guides down the throats of vulnerable shoppers. Promoting their products as if they hold no faults, and showcasing all of the fantastic 3 for 2 offers to lure you in, it can create a false sense of security. 

So instead of trying to sell their products, I thought I'd offer more of a review guide for possible Christmas gifting, to help buying for your loved ones a little easier. 

First up, we have Estée Lauder for those who don't mind spending a little more on a high-quality product. 

As you can see, the advanced night repair is a tester pot so I'm yet to say I'm an avid user. The tester has lasted me a few weeks however so I definitely recommend asking for one if you fancy giving it a go yourself. 

The main temptation with this product was that it is a serum rather than a thick night cream as my skin is already a little oily so doesn't need the extra layer. This lightweight serum leaves your skin feeling silky, not dry or oily. Bonus. 

After a few weeks of use, I have noticed that my skin isn't as oily as it once was and it seems to have balanced my skin tone, minimising redness. With constant use over a long period of time, I can only imagine the affects would be extremely beneficial. 

However, the smallest 30ml bottle is priced at £49.00 so it depends on how much you are looking to spend. This serum would make the perfect gift for someone who likes to look after their skin with high-quality products. 

I'd never been one for expensive foundation, I was always drawn in by brands such as Maybelline and Rimmel. That was until I moved to London and realised such products just don't stand the test of travel. By the time I got to work, I looked like I hadn't even bothered putting foundation on that morning. So it was time for something more durable. 

I had heard so much about Double Wear that I decided to give it a go and ask for a tester. It wasn't long until I upgraded to an actual bottle, and I can't see that I'll look back with any regret. 

A number of reviews had said it was too thick and made the wearer appear caked in make-up so I asked the girl at the counter to show me how to apply to avoid this. She told me to layer it rather than attempt to put it all on in one go. 

By pouring a pea-size amount to the back of my hand and applying thinly using a brush, it gives me the power to control how much coverage I want. 

When I get home from work, I still feel like I'm wearing make-up, although admittedly not as much as when I left the house that morning, but a definite improvement to the cheaper brands I was using before. I would happily recommend this product to anyone who wears foundation normally so I believe it would make the ideal Christmas gift. 

The Double Wear foundation is £29.50 and comes in a number of shades so if you can slyly get your loved one to get a colour match, you'll be a winner come Christmas Day. 

Bare Minerals VS PurMinerals

For years I have suffered with oily skin, and no amount of mattifying face cream has been able to stop it slowly wear away at my foundation. By the end of almost every day my face would be almost foundation-free, which is not the look I was going for surprisingly.

Up until recent months, I had always been naive and uneducated when it came to makeup, I was more of a follow-the-trend kind of girl. This meant I was using liquid foundation and piling on powder to dry it out. Big mistake. Liquid foundation on top of oily skin is a disaster waiting to happen, and the layers of powder made me look like I was applying my makeup with a shovel.

That is when the wonder that is pressed foundation came into my life. A friend of mine bought the Bare Minerals Ready foundation, and after seeing her wearing it, I was completely sold. For the first few weeks of using it I felt so much better about my skin and had finally found a resolution for the oil. When the pot was coming to an end, I went into an M&S and saw their PurMinerals counter selling almost the exact same product. One of the girls working there had told me that not only was it makeup but it was also a skincare product. Deciding to give it a go, I started using it before the Bare Minerals had completely ran out and I have to say, there is no comparison.

Yes, they may seem like the same product, but PurMinerals has so many qualities that Bare Minerals seems to be lacking. After using the two, I have noticed that Bare Minerals builds up throughout the day and ends up looking rather cakey. Not only this but the skin-tone range isn’t as broad as its competitor and as it takes it’s time to build up, you end up piling on more than necessary as you feel like you have nothing on to start with.

With PurMinerals, there is no cake and no hassle. It goes straight on, the colour matches my skin perfectly and it doesn’t wear away throughout the day.

Although it isn’t a well-known brand, PurMinerals wins hands down for me and I recommend everyone to try it. Marks and Spencer offer a wide range of PurMinerals products, with the foundation costing you £24. It’s my ultimate makeup bag must-have and I think it would be yours too.

How to dress for meeting HER parents

No matter what kind of a person you are, meeting the in-laws is always going to be daunting and we all know that first impressions are important. So what exactly are you supposed to wear to such an occasion?

The best way to make sure you won’t end up wearing a suit to dinner with a family who enjoy Adidas a little too much is to ask your girlfriend what kind of clothes her dad or brothers usually wear. This gives you an idea of the dress-code so not to be feeling too over/underdressed on the night. However, don’t try too hard to look like her dad. Turning up in chino’s and a sweater-vest will probably be just as embarrassing and won’t be easy to phase out for the second meeting.

Secondly, ask a few of your friends what they wore to meet their girlfriend’s parents. If there seems to be a trend and their relationships are still going strong, you have your answer.

If all else fails, turn to the ever-so popular smart/casual code. A smart pair of jeans or coloured chinos with a shirt or polo is probably the safest option as it is always better to be a little overdressed than underdressed in this scenario.

It’s important to remember that your girlfriend will want her parents to like you so if she thinks your look isn’t quite right; she will probably let you know. Ask her in advance what she is wearing and see if you can plan something based on her choice as she will know their preferred attire and should be able to help you.

If you want to be sure to impress, be the best version of yourself and don’t arrive empty handed. You probably know by now that women never complain when it comes to unexpected gifts so a bunch of flowers for her mum will distract away from what you are wearing for a little while. Ask your girlfriend what her dads favourite drink is and bring him a bottle so he doesn’t feel left out.

With the outfit decided and the gifts given, all you need to worry about is making it through the evening without offending or insulting either of them. Throw in compliments as often as necessary, especially about how beautiful their home is and her mum’s cooking (if you’re there for dinner) but try not to over-do it so her dad thinks you are hitting on his wife. Swearing is a complete no-go, even if they use it and the rest is down to you.

What Twitter thinks

We asked the males of Twitter to give their opinions on what’s acceptable and not-so acceptable when meeting the in-laws for the first time:

“@colinroweuk: view it like a job interview, better to be overdressed than underdressed.”

“@rcurtin6: always wear socks! Some people get weird about feet and they could be 'shoes off in the house' people.”

“@matt_hght: something smart but casual and comfortable at the same time.”

Celebrity Look of the Week

Jameela Jamil is always on point with her outfit selection and this weekend at V Festival was no different. Festivals create fantastic opportunities to show off your styling skills and Jameela has proven that it doesn’t always mean a new wardrobe by mixing and matching her favourite, past season pieces.

Representing tall ladies everywhere, the 27 year-old, Radio 1 DJ has admitted on Twitter that her outfit is made up mostly of Topshop and ASOS items making it every bit more desirable.

The dress, originally from ASOS, can be replaced by a casual black skater dress available from ASOS and most high street stores for around £20.

With the unpredictable weather, you can never be too prepared. Luckily, Topshop are offering a wide range of green and black parka coats in a variety of styles from £55-£99.

Patterned tights are available from almost every high street store so it won’t be too difficult to find the perfect pair to team with this outfit; however H&M have a black leopard print pair just like Jameela’s for £6.99.

To finish the look, add in a quirky Lulu Guinness box clutch or over-the-shoulder bag. The Black Doll Face Fifi clutch is just-as-odd yet just-as-fabulous as the telephone one Jameela is seen sporting. 

Buys of the Week

Lime Dress: River Island £22

Kaleidoscope Top: River Island £25

S Initial Midi Ring: Topshop £4

Barry M Greenberry Gelly Polish: Boots £3.99

Rimmel Pro Matte Finish Topcoat: Boots £4.59

What to wear

So it's my friends 21st coming up and we're heading to Brighton for a night out. To mark the occasion, I recently bought this dress and pair of heels from Topshop. To top it off, my Marc Jacobs watch and a black and gold clutch. 

Dress - £36 topshop.com

Heels - £85 topshop.com or £45 next2nowt.com

Watch - £185 various retailers

Is it okay to vent on Twitter?

When something happens to make me angry, I can’t help but pick up my phone and start putting together a Tweet to express my feelings. Even if 99% of the time I delete it before I send it, there is something about venting on Twitter that seems to relieve the anger and make me feel a little more calm about the situation. Luckily for me, if I do decide to expose the Tweet, I only have around 250 followers that are going to see it. So what happens when a celebrity decides to vent on Twitter?

Well a couple of our favourite Made in Chelsea characters and one very famous rapper have done just that. In an interview with Star magazine, Spencer Matthews let the world know his true feelings towards fellow cast member Millie Mackintosh. He made it clear that he isn’t her greatest fan and let’s be honest, after that incredible slap, you can’t really blame him, even if he did deserve it. In the first season of Made in Chelsea, Millie and Spencer were very close as Spencer was in love with her best friend Caggie Dunlop. The pair spent a lot of time together, along with Caggie and Hugo Taylor, who Millie then went on to date. The pair's friendship recently started to deteriorate when Spencer started dating another one of Millie's friends, Louise Thompson. When rumours escalated that he had cheated on her, Millie's commitment to Louise took over.

In the interview, Spencer referred to Millie as a ‘show pony’ who is only on the show to get involved in other people’s business and because of her celeb boyfriend Professor Green.

“We were very close when we were 16, but some people have really changed since doing the show. I have nothing nice to say about her.”

In light of Pro Green’s latest announcement of his engagement to the MIC star, Spencer told OK! magazine: “Poor bloke, I don’t know how he does it.”

Unhappy about Spencer’s attitude towards his fiancé, Professor Green took to Twitter to let Mr Matthews know just how he felt:

“and as for @spencergeorgem – you’re vile, don’t utter a f***ing word about our engagement – it’s none of your f***ing business.”

“not into some silly pompous jumped up c*** yapping off at the mouth for some f***ing exposure. sick of f***ing idiots and their ‘opinions’.”

In reply, Spencer simply put “@professorgreen Does this mean I’m not invited to the wedding?” to which the rapper tweeted a photo of Spencer with a heavily made-up blonde woman with the message “not if she’s your +1.”

Has Pro Green gone a little too far with his abusive tweets? I’m not sure. Yes they are very strong but at least he had the decency to tag Spencer in them rather than doing it behind-his-back, unlike the playboy MIC star who did the interviews without so much as pre-warning Millie.

Let’s see how this unfolds in the new season of Made in Chelsea which starts on Monday.