Celebrate Valentines with Baylis & Harding

 

I know, some people hate it, some people love it. It's basically the marmite of "holidays" across the globe. Love it or hate it, there are some great gift sets available at this time of the year - whether you're buying them for a loved one, or just yourself. And Baylis and Harding are always top of that list for gifts.

Blogmas #7: A Luxury Gift Guide

Sometimes you want to spend a bit more on the people you love, and you want to splash out, spoil them and really show just how much you love them. With that, comes luxury gifts, and if you spend a lot of money you want to be sure it's not going to be a waste of money. So here's some of my suggestions and recommendations if you want to spend just that bit more money. 

Blogmas #6: A Baylis & Harding Christmas

I have to pinch myself when parcels like this appear on my doorstep. Baylis & Harding are one of my favourite body care brands, they do high quality products at reasonable prices, and their packaging is always spot on. Their scents are timeless, and their Christmas gifts are always some of my favourites to look at when I'm walking around the Christmas gift sections in a store. And this year is no different.

 

This year there's some classic scents included, as well as some new pieces, and there's even choices for men. So let's take a look at some of my favourites pieces in my annual Baylis & Harding Gift Guide.

WHAT'S NEW?

First of all let's talk about the Fuzzy Duck Festive Collection. First of all, I'm obsessed with the name and it's inspired by it's own Costwold country inn. The packaging is one of my favourites that they've done, it's so country and cute, yet super festive. There's a few pieces available which I think make great presents, including the Luxury Slipper Set and the Hamper, but I'm totally in love with the Wash Bag Gift Set*. The bag itself is gorgeous and feels like velvet, and is full of little travel goodies in their Christmas scent - Mulberry and Misletoe. You get a shampoo, conditioner, body balm and shower gel. It's a great present for anyone who likes travelling or who is going on a holiday. The scent is to die for, it's very festive and warm and I love it. It's probably my favourite of all the scents I have here.

 

They've also thrown in a new home scent this year as well - which again, is to die for. It's so festive homey. The scent is Winter Spruce and Berries, and smells like exactly that. You can get a diffuser, a three-wick candle or as you see here their Christmas tree candle* - which they did last year as a style as well and just makes a super cute gift. As with all their candles the scent fills the room and the candle lasts a really long time. Just the design of the jar is enough to make me want to light it every evening.

 

And then something else - I'm not 100% sure if it's new but I definitely haven't seen this before, I'd remember - is their limited edition Prosecco Fizz Luxury Hand Wash*. Now I have a B&H handwash in both my bathrooms, and in my kitchen, because I love them. The scents are there and they last forever so they're great value for money. But this scent - oh my god. I wouldn't say it actually smelt like prosecco - I can't remember if prosecco even has a scent, I'll have to buy a new bottle to test. But the scent is amazing, and the bottle just scream Christmas luxe. Not the most exciting present, but dressed up like this and you have a winner.

 

THE CLASSICS

As well as some fantastic new scents, their good old favourites have some amazing gift sets as well that I think everyone will really love. The Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit scent is always a favourite of anyone I speak to, and I think this gorgeous Sequin Bag Set* is such a good gift for anyone who loves beauty, but also has a bit of style. You get a body wash, a body spritz and their hand and body lotion - all three really great products and is really affordable.

 

If you're looking for something more suitable as a stocking filler, or a secret santa gift, then this super cute Midnight Fig & Pomegranate Bath Set* is ideal. LOOK HOW CUTE IT IS! In this tiny tub you get a body butter and shower crème, in this incredible scent. It's presented so nicely, and the little tub is really handy next to the bath or shower to put any jewellery in that can't get wet - just a little tip for you there!

 

Baylis & Harding is a classic brand, it's super stylish packaging, and feels really luxe for a reasonable price tag. I love these sets, and I know if I gave anyone one of these sets, they'd be really pleased.

 

Much Love, Lisa May x

 

Blogmas #5: Stocking Filler Gift Guide

You're never too old for a stocking. My Mum still does one for me every year (well, a shared one now), and I love it. I get as excited about the stocking as I do my main presents. And let's face it, it's more because of the tradition behind it. Getting up early, curling up on my parents bed and showing them everything Santa gave me.

But there's something to be said for cute little gifts in a stocking as well. They can be super cute, super useful and very thoughtful. I've had gifts from Lush bath bombs, to lipsticks, to books and cds. Nail varnishes, games, and a chocolate orange. So here's some of my favourite things that you could put in a stocking this year.

The best thing to do with a stocking, is to really think about the recipient, like any gift, and make it all about them and their interests. You could even pick something random, like a Snowman baking timer, to give to an avid baker like this one from Sainsbury's. Or, get an animal lover a pair of cute socks with their favourite animal on them, Accessorize always do great ones, including some awesome Christmas themed ones, and they tend to be 3 for 2 as well.

Something that I love in a stocking, is a notebook or a book. They're always really handy and can be really useful. A small notebook that can be handbag friendly is the perfect gift for someone who likes to carry one around, fill with notes and ideas, dates and more. Urban Outfitters do some amazing designs, fit for every personality. I love this marble version as it's super slick and looks really pretty. But also, a really cute idea is this amazing little quote book. I got this one for my birthday, and I am obsessed. It's full of motivational quotes, friendship quotes and is so sweet as well. It's great for someone who works hard, gets stressed really easily or just likes little cute knick knacks.

 Games are always a nice thing to pop into a stocking, whether it's a little travel game or an extension - like this Cards Against Humanity box - it'll always be handy around Christmas. Got to love games at Christmas, and Cards Against Humanity is ideal for everyone - however this is definitely more for a guys stocking than a girls. If you want to go more than a girly route, you can't go wrong with a candle - a little tealight is perfect, or a small votive. I love this little White Company Winter candle, it was around £10 and it such a wintery, Christmas scent. Highly recommend!

Then we have some beauty pieces - let's face it I couldn't do a stocking gift guide without any beauty pieces. And I love receiving anything beauty themed in my stocking, it's one way to win me over. A hand cream always goes down well, and I love this collection from Rituals. It's great for all year around and the quality of this is awesome. Also, another essential is definitely a lip balm, and if you're in the beauty sphere then you'd have been hard-pressed to miss the launch of Glossier in the UK this Autumn. And I think their Balm DotCom's are the perfect stocking filler, great quality and a range of flavours to choose from so will suit anyone. And what else do you need to go alongside your balm? A lip scrub! Basically a stocking isn't a stocking without something from Lush, and their lip scrubs are second to none, the best out there and a necessity for winter lip care. As well as bubblegum, they have a couple of Christmas flavours out at the moment as well.

Much love, Lisa May x

Blogmas #2: Gift Guide - For the Home

Tis the season for giving gifts - and I LOVE it. One of my favourite things about Christmas is thinking about the perfect gift for the person, and then seeing their face when they open it. Since owning my own property gifts for the home have been a big hit for me. I love little presents for the house, and getting home gifts from people you love just adds something extra to the home. So why not do this at Christmas?

Beauty | Baylis & Harding Christmas Gift Guide

Well would you look at that, it's December and I well into my advent calendars. Christmas can be stressful, mainly thinking about what to get people.. So hopefully if you're looking for Secret Santa's, or girly friends this little Baylis & Harding Gift Guide will put some ideas into your head. 

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. 

Gift Guide | Christmas Daddy

Carrying on with my little gift guide series we have the gifts for your Dad. If you're Dad is like mine he is pretty impossible to buy for. Men! Not easy, but here are a couple of fool proof ideas to take you through the festive season.

PENGUIN CIRCLE LOGO TSHIRT

A recent brand for me, however I've since been told Seth from the OC wore this all the time. Now I love it! Really cool designs and great quality as well I would highly recommend a browse. We have an outlet shop near us and Dad received a couple of discounted tees for his birthday last Friday and loved them.

TED BAKER LOGO SOCKS GIFT SET

Most men love Ted Baker. They do professional style goodies and lets face it - you can never go wrong with some funky socks! These are presented in a lovely little gift box and come in lots of different designs. A great brand for the older gentleman.

BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS DVD

Dad came home the other day to me watchig this and immediately sat down and starting singing along. It's one of his favourites, and one we've had on video but never gone over to DVD. It's the same with most classic older films so jump on Amazon and track down his fave.

PAUL SMITH SIGNATURE STRIPE CHECK NOTEBOOK

Again, most men love Paul Smith. My Dad included. They do some really funky, signature designs and who can go wrong with a good quality notebook for work. It's a necessity for any professional man or if they just like a bit of a funky pattern.

PERSONALISED SILVER PLATED INITIAL CUFFLINKS

Men always need another set of cufflinks so why not give them something a little bit special. Give them some initial cufflinks, personal but simple. You can choose the font and the letters you want and it's really not breaking the bank.

Hope this helps for the Dad, it's getting so close now - just over a week away! I hope you're enjoying the run up as much as I am.

What are you getting your Dad for Christmas?

Gift Guide | Christmas Mum

I love buying for my Mum, it's like buying for myself! She has great taste and I would love to steal half her cosmetics, and wardrobe come to that! So what do you buy the woman who seemingly has everything?

KENZO FLOWER GIFT SET

Again (like yesterday) a smaller size than the usual so more likely to be used and in gorgeous packaging. Kenzo is a beautiful fragrance and very sophisticated. I love the bottle, it looks ever so pretty on the shelf and is perfect for the older lady.

NAILS INC NAIL POLISH DIARY

My Mum has recently discovered Nails Inc and is loving the quality so far, so this little gift set would be perfect. On the pricier side, however it has one colour for every month to suit the stereotype. There are some gorgeous colours in here.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

Probably one of my Mum's favourite films. It's classic Christmas, old school and perfect in every way. It reminds me of being in New York with her as well so it's reminiscent and means something to us. It was always one of my favourite childhood films as well.

YANKEE CANDLE FOREST ELEGANCE TEE LIGHT HOLDER

You cannot go wrong with Yankee Candle when it comes to my Mum, or any Mum I know for that matter. They do some gorgeous candle holders as well as some lovely scented candles to pop inside. I would definitely recommend popping into your local seller to take a peek.

PAPERCHASE A5 LIZZIE DIARY

I love the diaries in Paperchase. The collections are incredibly pretty and there is a lot of butterfly patterns, which my Mum happens to love as much as me. A diary is nearly always essential at Christmas for the New Year, so why not have one of style!

So there you have it. A gift guide basically based on my own Mother, but I'm sure it's adaptable to your own!

What will you be getting your Mum for Christmas?

Gift Guide | Christmas Boyfriend

I know a lot of couples that go all out for Christmas, spending hundreds. Me and Adam always tend to spend a lot less. Both our birthdays are in November, as is our anniversary so it's a bit of a strain money wise so we try to keep costs down. But here are some great gift ideas for anyones budget!

GAME OF THRONES SERIES 1-2

I haven't met a guy yet that doesn't love this series. Me and Adam watch it religiously when it comes out and I've already bought him both series so I would definitely recommend popping this in his stocking. Just be warned - it's not for the faint hearted!

RIVER ISLAND CABLE KNIT SCARF

Boys can never have enough scarfs. Let's face it, they are always loosing them. A simple warm scarf is definitely the way to go, and navy is one of the easiest colours to style for a guy - I know it goes with most of Adam's wardrobe anyway!

IPHONE 4S POKEBALL POKEMON COVER

As with yesterday's guide, a phone case is a nice easy present to get. A lovely little stocking filler/tree present and is usually really easy to find one that suits your guy. In my case a pokeball design. Maybe the most manly of pokemon cases available!

DIESEL ONLY THE BRAVE GIFT SET

I love Diesel's scents and this is one of my favourites, a gift set is always handy when it comes to fragrances and it's always a nice gift. This is a smaller version, I'm usually inundated with fragrance gift sets so a smaller one is perfect for giving a new scent a try.

CALVIN KLEIN PYJAMA BOTTOMS

I've bought Adam a couple of these over the years. Definitely a great present, simple, yet so useful and very comfy when you accidentally steal them! They are very durable and hello, Calvin Klein?! What guy is ever really going to say no to CK.

Guys are traditionally very hard work to buy for. I'm quite lucky that Adam is usually quite easy, maybe because I know him so well now, but still. I wish anyone luck for buying for a guy so I hope my little list has helped!

What do you suggest for your boyfriend?

Gift Guide | Christmas Best Friend

So, I've been a bit quiet this past week. I've had a couple of really hectic weeks but I'm back this week with a series of gift guides leading up to the festive season and then back next week with a whole load of reviews! So let's get started...

So me and my bff Amber don't actually do Christmas presents. My birthday is in November and hers is January so it's just a bit hectic and too much weight on money issues. However, one day (when we win the lottery) we will do this so here are some of my picks for gifts for your bff.

LAUREN CONRAD "BEAUTY"

I got this for my birthday and I love it. I loved Lauren in The Hills and this book is full of all of her little tips and tricks with beauty. It contains some amazing techniques actually and it's a lot better than I thought it could be. It exceeded my expectations and I think every girl should have a book like this.

DELICATE FLOWER FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS

Accessorize do some extremely pretty and wearable friendship bracelets. I got some for my birthday (again) but these ones are gorgeous. Some lovely colours and flowers are just a no brainer. What better gift to give then friendship bracelets to a great friend!

OWL OBSESSED PHONE CASE

I love cute little phone cases. They are super sweet and owls are everywhere at the moment. I'm falling for everything owl so it would be my first choice. A bit kooky but one for everyone I believe. Most cases are for iphones and luckily that is exactly the phone my bestie has.

TOPSHOP SMOKEY EYE KIT

Topshop have some really great gift sets at the moment and my personal favourite is the smokey eye kit. It comes in both brown and black, I've chosen the brown one here as it's more subtle and has some very pretty shades in the eyeshadow palette.

FRIENDSHIP DICTIONARY PRINT

How cute is this? You can choose what colour background you have and you also put your own friendship definition at the bottom as well, making it more personal to you and your friend. This is definitely one to tug on the heart strings and I love it.

A best friend is definitely not someone you should take for granted. Show them you care this Christmas. I may not be doing pressies with mine but we are going for lunch on Christmas Eve - her idea as she knows that's a hard day to stay at home for me (long story). A best friend is for life, mine certainly is anyway!

What are you buying your best friend for Christmas?

Gift Guide | Mother's Day

It's that time of year again - time to appreciate our mum's and find some really cute lovely pressies that one day you'll try to steal back! Here are my pics - or something to these affects...

#1 Estee Lauder Pleasures Gift Set £38
At the pricier end of the scale, however if you can afford it a fragrance gift set would be right up your mums street. I love Estee Lauder fragrances, they are feminine and yet mature and completely classic. Pleasure is a classical floral fragrance and the bag is cute as anything - I'd pay this just for the bag!

#2 Yankee Candle Lavender Florals Wax Burner £11.96
My Mum loves Yankee Candle, I swear I get her something from them for at least one event (Mothers Day, Birthday, Christmas) every year and she loves it. A wax burner is a really cute decorative way of accessorising your home and keeping it smelling amazing.

#3 Pandora Mother Pendant Charm £35
Back up the pricey scale but if your Mum has a Pandora bracelet she will love it. It's personal and a keepsake. This is the same for any charm bracelet, it'll put a smile on her face. Jewellery is a woman's best friend - that's true love!

#4 Diamante Resin Flower Frame £12
Perfect for immortalising your favourite memory with your Mum. Print out a photo for as cheap as chips and stick it in there. It's a completely personal gift that will be unique to the both of you. Plus the photo frame is so cute and girly. Definitely a winner.

#5 Lola Rose Moth Print Notebook £10
Anything from Lola Rose wins in my family, but this notebook is just adorable. It's just a small little way of giving someone something simple, yet gorgeous... and Lola Rose, and butterflies, and just look how cute this notebook is.. It may even rival Paperchase. Maybe.

I hope this helps or gives you some inspiration! I also hope if you're a Mum you have a lovely day!

What are you getting your Mum?