But, I have never ever ever been to The Ritz for an afternoon tea so this year, this was my pick!

Before the actual afternoon tea (which was booked for 5.30pm), we went to Sexyfish for some cocktails, did a little shopping and then went to the Rivoli bar inside the Ritz hotel just to see what the vibe was like!

But that was all just pre-game to the main event: the festive afternoon tea!

Before some pics, I want to say that the tea was very special! The festive ambience was perfect thanks to the extravagant decorations, beautiful pianist and festive choir. The service was also second to none! The food was also delicious ( the Yule log was my fave)!

Here are some pics:

Anyway, this year I received a lookfantastic advent calendar, and first up, I want to spotlight the beautiful box design. The thing is a work of art and I was so happy with it, it had pride of place in my living room

So, through the month of December, I studiously opened my advent calendar every evening to see what was inside The advertising for this product says that the contents are worth around £420 and after opening everything, I can believe it! There were some genuinely expensive, luxe products inside and I’m really happy with the overall quality of the products inside.

But this post is not about price! It’s about my personal ranking of how much I like the products inside. So, I won’t be referencing price again, but I will talk about the efficacy of the product, its size, and whether I personally vibe with it.

Let’s go.

From ‘least good’ to best

#25 – Emma Hardie, Moisture Boost Cream

Well this is awkward. I have to start with Emma Hardie’s moisture boost cream because… I didn’t actually receive it in my advent calendar It was meant to be Day 17, but instead on Day 17, I got a duplicate of another day’s product, due to a packing error I guess.

So let’s start this ranking from 24…

#24 – Bubble T limited edition Bath Bomb

These mini bath bombs are salted caramel flavour and even with a sealed packet, I can smell that caramel flavour. So, if luxuriating in baths smelling of candy is your vibe, you’re absolutely gonna love these.

Unfortunately, I like my baths smelling a little less… food-like, which is why these are at the back of the pack. I also would have loved to have seen something a bit more premium than this plastic packaging from this box that overall had a very luxe vibe.

#23 – Eyeko Lash Alert Mascara

This travel-sized mascara will do the trick but is nothing particularly revolutionary. It has gone straight into my box of travel-size cosmetics that I fish out when I’m going on short trips, and is definitely a welcome addition to round out my holiday cosmetics collection.

#22 – First Aid Beauty, Facial Radiance pads

These pads are going straight into my aeroplane backpack, the bag that I always take with me on flights, and that is filled with all those important flying essentials. At 28 pads, this counts as travel-sized for me, and I can imagine using these to brighten up my face at the end of a flight.

#21 – Illamasqua, Nude Collection lip liner

Confession time, I never really use lip liners because I’m not entirely sure how they work This one has gone into my make-up drawer with the vague ambition that I really need to watch some youtube videos and figure out lip liners lol.

#20 – Molton Brown, Fiery Pink Pepper Bath and Shower Gel

I like Molton Brown a lot, and this bath + shower gel with notes of fiery pink pepper, tangerine and ginger is only this low down for me because the fragrance doesn’t quite do it for me. But next time, I have a guest to stay (or when I finally get a place big enough for that guest bathroom), you best believe I’ll be getting this out to look fancy

#19 – Lord & Berry Eye Liner

This eye-liner promises to be ultra-long wearing and easy to smudge to create that smoky finish. Again, its pretty mini so I’m adding it to the holiday cosmetics bag again.

#18 – Omorovicza, Queen of Hungary Mist Limited Edition

Fun fact, this was actually inside the compartment for the last day of the advent calendar. I was expecting something INCREDIBLE which may have contributed to the feeling of slight disappointment in this product. I’ve personally never heard of this brand and whilst I’m excited to try out something new, a complexion rejuvenating mist is not something I imagine I’m gonna use. I’m more a ‘splash some cold water on my face’ kinda girl.

On the converse, a product like this is exactly why I love the idea of beauty advent calendars. Its not something I would traditionally buy myself, but I might actually love it when I start using it! Also, it makes me feel like maybe I could be a women who spritzes herself on the daily with a fine orange blossom mist

#17 – Morphe Eyeshadow palette

Another fun fact! This was actually day 1 of the advent calendar, and when I opened it and saw it, it made me even more excited for the advent calendar. This is a full-size product, and you can really never have too many eyeshadow palettes

#16 – Neal’s Yard Remedies, Wild Rose Hand Cream

I looove hand cream and have a hand cream on my desk at work at all times. This exact fragrance isn’t one that I necessarily would have picked out for myself, but I can tell you it feels divine. Neal’s Yard always has a high bar of quality to the products and this hand cream really doesn’t disappoint on that front. Your hands will feel instantly moisturised

#15 – Oskia, Renaissance Cleansing Gel

This promises to purify the skin with a non-foaming cleanser, restoring radiance and leaving skin feeling soft. It’s also suitable for all skin types which is handy when you’ve not picked it out yourself. I used it the day after a particularly hectic New Years celebration and I was impressed at how it made my hungover skin glow

#14 – Sleek Makeup, Highlighting palette

This was one of those serendipitous moments when my advent calendar delivered what I was looking for. It contains two baked powders, one silky shimmer powder and one cream highlighter, and I found they blended well. Another full-sized make-up offering was also definitely appreciated!

#13 – Living Proof, Perfect hair day 5-in-1 styling treatment

I haven’t used this yet, but I’m excited to try it, as I’m always on the hunt for products that will make my hair pop. I always struggle finding the exact right hair products for my hair (curly girls, you know what I’m saying) so my expectations are pretty low, especially because this isn’t a product that is explicitly targeting curly hair. But hey, imagine if this turns out to be the one! That excitement is why this has ranked highly.

#12 – Luxie makeup brushes

These brushes got used straight away, applying me some eyeshadow. I really enjoyed the fact that I received two different brushes on one day as each brush does something different. These are some solid brushes to receive if you don’t necessarily have a brush collection yet as they are hella useful. However, if you already have a comprehensive brush collection, you’ll likely be doubling up (and this is why a holiday cosmetics bag is the thing!)

#11 – Caudalie, Vinopure Clear Skin Purifying Toner

This bottle was exciting to receive as it hits the brief of something that I would probably never buy myself but that I can’t wait to use! It’s a clarifying toner, and its for combination skin (when your skin has some oily patches and some dry patches). This is smart because a product in an advent calendar needs to cater to a wide variety of people.

This product works through its organic essential oils drawing out impurities from within your pores. And most importantly, it smells realllllly good!

#10 – Delilah Cosmetics, Eyebrow pencil

This has two ends. One brush to groom those brows to perfection, and the other is a fine pencil tip that creates natural hair-like strokes to fill sparse gaps and enhance depth. Definitely a cool, low maintenance product if your eyebrows need some love and attention.

#9 – Rituals, Ayurveda Dry Oil

This is a natural dry oil, infused with Indian Rose and Sweet Almond, which can be applied to hair and body to hydrate you. I haven’t used this one yet but I can tell you it smells delicious, which makes me excited to try it! This is the kinda product that for me is perfect for a pamper night, and I like that this calendar has a mix of those daily use products and those that are a bit more special.

#8 – Mellow Cosmetics, Liquid Lip Paint

This liquid lip paint is meant to be long-wearing – it promises to last all day while at the same time avoiding drying out your lips. This was an intriguing promise because I struggle with lip paints making my lips feel mad dry . This paint delivers a velvet matte finish and feels nice on your lips when you apply it. Not gonna lie, they still felt a bit dry a few hours later but at least they looked good doing it

#7 – Philip Kingsley, Deep Conditioning Treatment

I’ve not used this yet as I’m saving it to use before a big night out. This product provides a deep conditioning treatment that promises to add elasticity and bounce to your hair. Elasticity and bounce are two words that are very important to me so I can’t wait to try this!

#6 – Avant Skincare, Moisture Surge Overnight Treatment

Damn, I really love this product. It smells insane and it made my skin feel super smooth and hydrated. It’s meant to be used 2-3 times a week before bed for a brighter face, and promises to give you a more youthful look. However, it does such madness to my skin that I’m struggling not to use it more than 2-3 times a week, to be honest.

And another fun fact – this is the first product out of the calendar that I put on order.

#5 – Filorga, Meso-mask

Fun fact, I accidentally received two of these in my advent calendar. Not that I’m complaining. This product is a face mask that enhances your skin’s radiance, and can be applied to the face, neck and decolletaaaaaaaage. Even with two bottles, I just wish I had more.

#4 – Elemis, Pro-collagen Marine Cream

When I unboxed this, I couldn’t believe it! Not only do I know that this product is expensive, but I love anything that promises that its ‘clinically proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles’. I’ve been using this religiously daily and I’m probably going to have to buy more

#3 – Prai, Throat & Decolletage Creme

Sensing a theme? This cream moisturises and firms your throat + decolletage, which I’m ALL about after noticing a number of older women whose faces seem smooth and wrinkle-free till your eyes slide down to their throat and cleavage and then you realise thats where all their wrinkles have emigrated to

On the downside, this cream comes in a tiny little pot and I wish they would’ve been more generous!

#2 – Bioeffect, EGF Serum

This tiny little bottle was described as ‘groundbreaking’ and is again another product to help reduce wrinkles and fine lines. I thought the bottle was really small until I read the instructions where I saw you’re only meant to be using 2-4 drops of it a day! I’m excited to see this one’s effect over time.

#1 – Rodial, Dragon’s Blood Lip Mask

I was so hype for this product, that when I opened it I didn’t even take a picture of it, I just ripped it open and used it right there and then I had just been recovering from a cold and my lips were hella dry, so a mask specifically for rehydrating lips was everything I could have dreamt of lol.

But anyway, here’s the packaging and a pic of me with my lip mask on

This product comes top of the list because it is the product, hands-down, that I will be buying again and again. My lips felt amazing afterwards, like they had their own spa day out and I’ve been recommending this mask to all my friends ever since.

So is a beauty advent calendar worth it?

Yes, yes and YES! Not only do you really get the bang for your buck with this calendar, but it was genuinely so much fun to unbox something everyday, knowing that it will last for days/weeks afterwards. as well as potentially introducing me to my new favourite obsession.

The only dilemma now is to figure out which calendars are the best ones. Sounds like in Christmas 2020 I may have to buy multiple ones so I can “test them out” Watch this space!

I’ve never made a wreath before, and I was really excited to understand how they worked and to build my own!

Clemmie + Ruth from the Theatre of Flowers had set up a big room full of everything we needed to make badass wreaths, including the glasses of champagne, and let me tell you, walking in felt like I was walking into Christmas! It smelled like a Christmas Tree

They had set up a personal workstation for everyone, which included the basics to make the wreathes: clippers, wire and the metallic base. In the middle of the table, a plethora of greenery including fresh moss, pine and other plants that I won’t even pretend I know the name of

Also dotted round the room were stations for all the wreath extras: things like ribbons, pine cones, and cinnamon sticks. We all spent some time wandering round the stations to have a good look, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I was definitely thinking ‘how the fuck does this all come together to make a wreath!?’

With Christmas tunes playing in the background, Clemmie and Ruth called us to our workstations – it was time to find out!

1⃣ Build the base

The first step was to stuff the metallic base with the fresh moss in the middle of the table, and use the wire to bind it together, so that it stays in place! Simple enough!

The moss goes in first so you can use it to anchor all the other stuff you’re going to put into it to make your wreath perfect.

2⃣ Gather green stuff to fill it in

Once the base was filled with moss, you’re ready to add more greenery into it! The table had so many green options, and it was down to each of us to pick what we wanted to have in it, and how we wanted to arrange it.

Clemmie and Ruth did take us through some of the more traditional options of arranging, but also encouraged us to do whatever we felt was right for us!

We used the wire to continue to bind the greenery into the moss and into the base. After this step, my wreath now looked like this!

3⃣ Add more interest

With the greenery built up more, it was really time to think about how to make it look more exciting!

Adding more greenery, as well as some of the more exciting options dotted around the room, helped to build up the wreath even further.

My favourite things to play around with were the cinnamon sticks, berries and the pine cones! Clemmie and Ruth showed us how, with wire and pins, we could add these more bulky components to our wreathes in a stable way. Like magic!

4⃣ Critique with friends

This was a very important part! Getting fresh eyes on your wreath so you can adjust the bits that aren’t working, or add stuff that is needed.

It is also worth making sure you look at your wreath from different angles, particularly, as Clemmie and Ruth advised, from further away, so you can see its full effect and adjust as needed!

5⃣ Add the ribbon

The final touch to any Christmas wreath, apparently, is a festive ribbon! I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to add one or not but after seeing other people play around with ribbons, I got jealous and decided to add one after all!

6⃣ Admire your handiwork!

I have to say, after all of that work, I was really proud of my wreath! Here’s the finished product:

A massive thank you to Theatre of Flowers for putting on this workshop for us! Clemmie and Ruth were amazing at guiding us through the wreath-making process, and we were all really happy with the end results!

If you’re looking for a Christmas activity, I fully recommend checking them out!

In 2017, we started the tradition of going to an afternoon tea in December in the lead up to Xmas by visiting the Sanderson. While last year we didn’t quite make it as we were away, this tradition is back with a bang this year!

And where better to go but the Savoy?

One of my favourite things about walking into the Savoy was seeing and feeling the incredible festive vibe everywhere. One of the most spectacular pieces was the grand arch of flowers that wrapped over the staircase leading to the Thames foyer, home of the Savoy afternoon tea.

How beautiful are the light patterns playing on the floor in the third pic by the way?

Of course, the service at the Savoy is nothing but impeccable, and so we were shown to our seats around a very comfortably sized round table that had a direct line of sight to the atrium in the middle of the foyer, where a pianist was playing beautiful instrumental versions of Christmas classics.

We had soon ordered our teas, and had our savoury selections, included unlimited sandwiches:

First, the sandwiches. I think all in all, this was my most favourite overall plate of sandwiches I’ve eaten in an afternoon tea: every single one was impeccable. From left to right in the above photo:

• Smoked salmon and cream cheese
• Shrimp and *something* on charcoal bread (eek)
• Coronation turkey on cranberry bread
• Egg and truffle on spinach bread
• Cucumber

These were accompanied by two warm savoury bites per person, a smoked venison and chestnut puree toast, and a pumpkin and goats cheese quiche. Yum!

After all of that deliciousness, it was time for the most decadent, festive set of treats to be delivered.

While the traditional scones, served with generous helpings of all the usual accoutrements, were very yummy, the festive-themed cakes really stole the show for me.

Look at how cute they are!! They looked so good I almost didn’t want to eat them (I got over this very quickly!). We had:

• Cranberry delice, with pistachio cremeux
• Rudolf’s Nose, with vanilla, mandarin and a chocolate sphere
• St Nicholas choux a la creme, with spiced apple compote and sea salt caramel
• Chocolate Christmas tree, with peppermint ganache
• Savoy Christmas Cake, with raisins, candied orange, earl grey tea (not pictured)
• Traditional Mince pie, topped with spiced streusel (not pictured)

If I had to pick a favourite, I would say probably the Christmas tree. Not only lovely flavours but I thought the presentation was so great!

This afternoon tea will go down in the books as one of my favourites! If you’re thinking about what festive afternoon tea to go for, I would highly recommend this one!

We’ll be back again thats for sure.

I didn’t wanna go down the typical Christmas colours route, and I knew I also want to keep the colour scheme feminine and soft. I started by pinning some colour inspirations to get me thinking:

The next step was to take a November trip to John Lewis, to visit their beautiful Christmas shop. This is the chance for me to get inspired about the details. The thing I love about John Lewis is that they curate specific themes for their Christmas shop, that tell a full, cohesive story.

The theme I was most drawn to was called Sanctuary, mostly thanks to the colour palette. Light pinks, striking golds, blush tones, and understated sparkly elegance all combined to create a calming but still festive vibe.

I took note of some of my favourite decorations and later on, I revisited them online. I pinned them all to my Christmas board and then the hard work began of figuring out how to reduce my selection down

I wanted to have around 5-6 statement baubles that I would buy sparingly, but that would really make the tree pop. These baubles all have to tell a cohesive story together, as well as bringing something different to the table so they each can stand on their own as wow moments. Without overshadowing each other though.

Once the statement baubles are sorted, I then knew I could augment the rest of the tree with ‘filler’ baubles. These are still beautiful objects and still in keeping with the colour theme, but are able to fade into the background more and let the statement baubles really shine:

The problem with picking 6 statement baubles was that I had pinned almost double that number, which would be far too many. This is where having the baubles pinned together on a Pinterest board was helpful, because I could easily see how they would work in different combinations, and I could start to peel off the ones that didn’t end up bringing much uniqueness to the tree, or the ones that clashed too much with the others.

I ended up with these statement baubles:

Which actually then turned into 7, because I couldn’t resist adding some extra sparkle

So I finally had my baubles selection! But any good tree, in my book, also needs a bit more extra bling, so I picked up some gold pine cone tree decorations as well as some warm LED lights.

/// Hold for waiting for all of this to be delivered ///

Getting a huge box of Christmas decorations was when I felt like the festive season had started I found a Christmas tunes Spotify playlist, put on my fluffy pjs, and got to work on putting up the tree!

My tree, which was also a John Lewis purchase if you wanna sense a theme, is as fake as they come, which is exactly how I like it because I feel like there is just less mess. It also means you can have cool trees that look like they are dusted with snow, which to me just feels way more festive.

Putting the baubles onto the tree is more of an art than a science. My rule of thumb is to just place things where my gut is telling me they’ll look good, and spend a lot of time appraising your progress from afar rather than up close, so you can really get a proper picture of how it will look.

Okay, enough words, here’s what the tree looks like now its finished!

And some up close shots of how the statement baubles look in situ:

My tree has been a source of happiness and joy for me over the past few weeks. I can’t tell you how good it is to come in from the cold and wet, into my home that is warm, inviting and lit up by this beast of a tree. And that makes all this effort worth it!

Merry holiday szn!

Don’t get me wrong, I love a white Christmas day as long as I don’t actually need to go anywhere. But then, snow must evaporate immediately and then 20+ degrees please!

I’m very much a warm-blooded animal, and so the prospect of spending time in December in a hot country was incredible appealing.

I was also really interested to see how Christmas would translate to a hot country. Would Santa wear shorts and t-shirt, frolicking with his Rudolph the Red Nose Turtle in the sand?

Turns out… spending Christmas and New Year in a resort in Mexico meant that all of the familiar Xmas motifs from home were still there. Although it was an experience to see Santa arrive on the beach on Christmas day on a jet ski!

Here are a few pictures from the holiday that hopefully evoke some of the spirit of our very hot festive holiday