What I Got for Christmas 2013

This is my first 'Haul' post on my blog! I've seen a lot of these around and thought I might join in - I know a few fellow bloggers love to be nosey about what others buy and receive at Christmas, and I thought you might like to see what I was lucky enough to be given.

I'm not one for boasting, so here's a little disclaimer; I'm not showing off, or gloating. I'm not going to put absolutely everything I got for Christmas up, only t items I will probably be reviewing separately over the coming month. I'm not confident about doing posts like this, so if you really like / dislike this please let me know for future reference.

Ok, now that's over, I'll begin!

This is my first proper Yankee Candle, which I got from my parents. It smells absolutely divine, and I just can't bring myself to burn it just yet! I'm sure I'll give in very soon though, it's far too gorgous to just leave sitting on my shelf. I'll be reviewing this soon for you all.

These beautiful earrings were from my Nan. Before I was given these, I only had one pair of decent silver earrings - and now I have two! They're so simple and delicate and I just can't wait to wear them soon. I'm a lucky girl!

Here are  a selection of my beauty gifts! A real range, and I can't wait to use them all. I received a few Soap & Glory minis, a Lush Butterball bath bomb, a nail buffer, a beautiful No.7 Eye Shadow, Topshop Nail Varnish, a sample of John Frieda's Frizz Ease Masque, Maxfactor Lipfinity (to replace my old one!) Paul Smith's Floral (one of my favourite perfumes), Joules Bath Fizzes, a Bath Fizz from Fenwick's, Accessorize Velvet Nail kit, Real Techniques Brushes and an Imperial Leather Body Wash.

These are all wonderful gifts - I will be reviewing a number of these products soon as well. I also received a beautiful blue nail varnish from my best friend Lou, which I am thinking of using this week. From the looks of this, 2014 will be a beautiful year!

I was lucky enough to be given the Real Techniques Core Collection! I've seen so many excellent reviews of these brushes online and am so excited to be able to try them myself now. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to try out more makeup and to learn how to apply products properly and these should be just the thing! Another review will be on the way, and if you have any tutorial links, please share them with me.

I was given this beautiful makeup bag by my parents as well - it's a large one, and fits my entire makeup collection! Perfect for keeping my shelves tidy and also for taking things on my travels.  I love the pattern and the fabric means that I can wipe it clean!

As well as some fantastic bed socks, my sister gave me this stunning dress. It's from Dorothy Perkins, and is a perfect length to make it suitable for both casual wear, a night out, and for work! The pattern is very pretty and it's the perfect colour to go with everything. I'll be wearing this constantly.

My parents also gave me this jumper - perfect for chilly January weekends; I've already worn it countless times and it is so cosy and comfortable. You would never know that it is from Primark as it feels so much more high-end! I love the chunky knit too.

I've been using the same handbag for years - it's become a little mucky, with ink stains and worn fabric, so it's about time I got a new one. Mum and Dad gave me this beautiful bag from Zara - firstly, it's HUGE and I can fit everything in it! Secondly, it's a beautiful dark burgundy colour. They know me so well!!

The final gift I'd like to share is this book - I've heard so many things about it and it is next on my reading list. I know it'll be a tear jerker!

These are some of the gifts I received which I thought you might like to read about - I was given a few more, but I want to keep those personal. I received some lovely slippers from one of my dearest friends, so many meaningful trinkets and stationery items. My best friend Lou gave me three frames filled with pictures of us and some lovely bits and pieces, which I adore! My boyfriend also gave me a sketchpad and pencils so that I can rekindle my love for art, so I envisage many soggy January evenings spent aiming to retrieve my artistic skills! I do feel very, very lucky and want to thank everyone who took the time to buy me a gift - and I hope you liked yours too!

I am the sort of person who prefers buying gifts for others, and had I had time at Christmas I would have written a blog about my Christmas shopping (though it would have ruined all the surprises!).

I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and received some lovely treats too.

If you've written a post about what you got for Christmas, please share the link in the comments - I'd love to be nosey! 

Jo

xxx