The Life Post | Luxury Mother's Day Gift Guide

So tomorrow is March, which means one thing in the UK - Mother's Day! Appreciating your Mum is SO important, so it's such a good opportunity to really show them what they mean to you. My Mum is amazing, she was a stay at home Mum and was always there when we got home from school, cooked our dinners, did our washing, etc. She gave up so much for us and if I could - I would spoil her rotten for it. With that in mind, I thought it would be quite a cool idea to do a luxury gift guide for Mother's Day. 

I've teamed up with the The Royal Exchange to compile my top five ideal Mother's Day gifts. The Royal Exchange is an incredible luxury shopping and dining centre in the heart of London (actually quite close to where I work) with 30 luxury boutiques contained within it. Now I know how close it is to where I work, I'm going to have to be careful as there are a wealth of fabulous beauty and fashion accessories boutiques filled with lovely products. Note to self: do NOT walk down to Bank on my lunch break...

1 | KIEHL'S ROSE ARTICA YOUTH REGENERATING EYE CREAM, RRP £35

Well it wouldn't be T&M if there wasn't some sort of beauty in here would it? Kiehl's is one of my favourite brands of all time. Their skincare products are incredible! This particular product has a unique formula, which helps to regenerate the eyes for a more youthful appearance. Although I don't think my mum needs any help in this area, it's still a beautiful gift.

2 | LINKS OF LONDON EFFERVESCENCE PEARL EARRINGS, RRP £75

Pearl earrings just scream class don't they? I just think they are so timeless and classic - I always think of Audrey Hepburn when I see pearl earrings and let's face it, who wouldn't want to look like her? Links of London is a great jewellery brand and I happen to have a few of their pieces, as does my Mum. It's such high quality but still affordable and I just adore their Effervescence Collection.

3 | BREMONT SOLO 37 ROSE GOLD WATCH, RRP £3,450

So, the most expensive item on my gift guide but oh my life, look how pretty it is! Both my Mum and I are big fans of rose gold, so I know she'll love this piece. The embossed leather strap comes in a variety of colours, but personally I like the brown with rose gold, and it has a scratch resistant sapphire crystal front. Finished with 18 carat rose gold (wow) it is pricey but boy, is it worth it.

4 | LULU GUINNESS NEW FACE POLISHED LEATHER CESCA TOTE, RRP £350

My Mum is already a huge Lulu Guinness fan and when I saw this bag I just thought of her instantly. I love the cheeky little wink and the classic red pout. It comes with a detachable cross body strap, which is always super handy and I love having the option, and a classic red lining which really brings the whole look together and keeps it classically Lulu Guinness. Can I buy this for myself please?

5 | MOLTON BROWN YLANG YLANG ROOM FRAGRANCE, RRP £22

There are Molton Brown items all over my Mum's house, so this would be right up her street. The cheapest item in my selection, but no less beautiful. I really like room fragrances as they're a touch different to candles (and if you have curious cats, candles are NOT a good idea) and I feel like it's a nice touch. There's a whole collection with this fragrance, so you can always add extra bits and pieces to go with it.

There are so many other beautiful products you could pick up at The Royal Exchange, this is just a small collection! I hope my picks inspire provide some inspiration if you are struggling. Go on; treat your Mum this year!

What will you be getting your Mum for Mother's Day?

*This post is written in association with The Royal Exchange

The Video Post | Boots & Lush Haul

I went to a couple of shops and bought some stuff. Yup, stuff. I talk through all my latest purchases in this video, as well as introducing one of the cats to you for about 2 seconds... I'm in a different set up as well so let me know if you prefer this to just plain white background! Click here to view the video and don't forget to subscribe!

What should I be buying in Boots and Lush?

The Beauty Post | Revlon ColorStay Make Up

I went looking for Revlon Nearly Naked and came home with ColorStay, a very highly rated foundation. I was super excited to try this and so eager to nab it that I accidently got the normal to dry skin instead of the oily to combination one. Whoops. Well I gave it a go anyway as I had a few little dry spots and my oily skin was actually behaving so I figured it wouldn't be too bad.

Initially I absolutely loved this. The coverage was lovely, smooth and buildable and I liked the dewy natural finish. It lasted well as well, passing the london commuting test (my current gold standard test) with flying colours. The colour was slightly too dark and a little too yellow toned (I'm a pink toned gal) but otherwise very blendable. I liked it to much I jumped the gun and included it in my January Favourites. 

Since then I've changed my mind slightly. I still think it's a good foundation, however I've found that the foundation keeps sticking to any dry patches that I have - which is a) annoying and b) surprising considering it's a foundation specifically for dry skin...  I've also found that because of this it just isn't lasting as long. 

I really need to learn with bases to give it a few weeks before I pass judgement. I always seem to jump the gun. Bad blogger. Anyway, while I think this has the potential to be a great foundation it just isn't working for me anymore. I'm wondering if I tried the oily/combination version that I'd feel differently but I'm not sure.

Revlon ColorStay for Normal/Dry Skin: £12.49

What drugstore foundation would you recommend?

The Video Post | February Revisited

I've decided to do a post each month where I look back at reviews I've done in that same month over the past two years... Basically to see how I still like the products, or if my view has changed since then! Yes, I do tip an OPEN nail polish bottle upside down and there is a HUGE bang in the background at one point - apologises! Anyway, click here to watch the video and don't forget to subscribe!!