You know it’s December when the shops are packed and all you hear is the same old Christmas music everywhere you go. The scramble for gifts combined with mad shoppers, pushy sales people and an overwhelming choice is a daunting experience for many. I hope to make this a bit easy for you over the coming weeks by sharing some of my favourite gift ideas this season.

Today’s post is about  my top 5 beauty buys under £50 – these will make excellent festive gifts for any beauty addict in your life – or perhaps, yourself! 😉

I blogged last week about some gorgeous makeup out there designed specifically with Halloween in mind (see Spooky Chic for more). Couldn’t resist another Halloween makeup post this morning, considering it is today and some last-minute, easy makeup inspiration may be timely. 🙂

I turned to one of my favourite sites, Pinterest, for some relatively subtle, DIY Halloween makeup ideas. Some seem super easy while others definitely need a creative hand. Here are some Halloween looks I love….

Halloween is just around the corner and I am really missing the American Halloween spirit – London comes nowhere close!! The last-minute hunt for unique costumes (age no bar!), and dressing up in character for crazy Halloween parties are sorely missed each year.

Today’s blog is on some fantastic Halloween inspired beauty collections out there to help you create the perfect spooky chic look for the occasion. Really making me wish I was back in New York City for Halloween….sigh.

MAC + Rick Baker Halloween Collection

The perfect shade of nude lipstick is a beauty staple that can be quite tricky to find. Despite looking for a shade that closely matches the natural lip colour, it is very easy to end up with the wrong kind of nude that makes you look more washed out and ghost-like than classy.

With summer officially over, I am looking for a break from my pink comfort zone and in the market for a more autumnal look. I think I may have found a helping hand in the recently launched L’Oreal Collection Privee.

Nothing screams ‘summer’ quite like the colour, coral. Wouldn’t you agree?

If you love peachy, coral hues as much as I do, then you will love the Go Tropicoral Lip & Cheek Kit by Benefit Cosmetics.

The Go Tropicoral Lip & Cheek Kit includes:

Cha Cha Tint – A mango tinted lip and cheek stain perfect for creating a natural, summer flush.

High Beam – Liquid shimmer for spot highlighting. Suits all skin tones.

CORALista Blush – Peachy powder blush perfect for a warm, summery look.

CORALista Lip Gloss – Sheer coral lip gloss.