MSH Backup

Now that December is just peeking over the horizon, I’m sure that I’m not alone in wanting to power through my Christmas shopping so that I can coast towards the holidays with my feet up! I’m almost there, and with just a handful of extra bits to pick up, I’m hopeful that I won’t be such a last-minute Linda this year! With that in mind, I’ve rounded up a selection of heavenly homeware to get inspired by- whether it’s for gifting or to treat your own winter den to a bit of a facelift: Pom Pom Knitted Blanket, £35, Laura Ashley/Round Marble Dressing Table Mirror, £125, Oliver Bonas/Overrose Scented Candle in Ultraflora, £45, Workshop Living/Allium in Vase, £9.50, Marks and Spencer/Ceramic Tiger, £18, Oliver Bonas/Scalloped Pink Glass Bowl, £16, Oliver Bonas/Mini Eco Tote, £21, Tidy Street Store/Follow Your Heart Wall Art, £69, Oliver Bonas/Set of two Stoneware vases, £12, Att Pynta/Polka Dot Cat Spoon Rest, £12, Anthropologie/Rifle Paper Company Appointment Notebook, £14, Anthropologie/M...

At this time of the year, you're most likely to find me wrapped up from head to toe in a combination of knits and thermals, but up until quite recently we've been really lucky with the weather, with mild temperatures and bursts of sunshine prolonging the mild autumn just that little bit longer. In the sartorial stakes, this has afforded me the perfect opportunity to inject a splash of new colour and character into my seasonal wardrobe, thanks to a new piece which has become a real firm favourite over recent weeks: Dress- Oliver Bonas  Bag- Zara  Shoes- Gap  Sunglasses- Ray-Ban (c/o John Lewis) How lovely is this dress from Oliver Bonas? I held off snapping it up until the payday before last, by which time of course it had sold out online! Luckily enough, I tracked one down in store and am so happy to have found one in my size- with the perfect winter floral feel I can see why it's been so popular. As well as the lovely print, the style is a dream too, with the midi design...

With Christmas Day a little over a month away, I’m using this coming weekend very much as a ‘get my shopping all wrapped up’ one. With lots of Black Friday discounts on the go, it pays to be prepared, and I’ve lot a selection of prospective purchases all bookmarked and ready to buy. If you’re keen to get similarly organised- and especially if you’re shopping around for beauty bits- keep scrolling for a peek at my pick the goodies in the shops now: This Works Sleep Tight Kit, £13, Space NK/ Bobbi Brown Crystal Starlight Eyeshadow Palette, £35, Liberty/Skin Laundry Rejuvenation Essentials Kit, £110, Liberty/Diptyque Fragrance Surprise Pocket, £38, Liberty/Space NK Travel Bag in Champagne, £24, Space NK/Stila Liquid Glow Eyeshadow Set, £49, Space NK/Liberty London Beauty Cracker, £18, Liberty/Laura Mercier Magic Hour Face Illuminator Palette, £45, Space NK/Stars in Your Eyes Palette, £60, Charlotte Tilbury/Royal Lipstick Trio, £60, Charlotte Tilbury/Generation G Lipstick, £14, Glossier/Oi...

With winter making itself well and truly at home this week (sleet showers anyone?!), I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to hibernate until the arrival of spring. In lieu of a prolonged period of quality time embracing my inner hermit, I’ve drawn up a little list of winter rituals designed to make the darker evenings and cold weather just that little bit more bearable:  - Reading relaxation: make time in the evenings or on your commute to get to grips with a new book. There’s a slew of amazing reads out at the moment, and escaping to another world, even if it’s only for a little while, is a great antidote to grey days. In fact, the more uplifting the read the better- The Discomfort Zone by Farrah Storr is next on my list. - Make time for tlc- dealing with the elements at this time of the year is always tough, and I’m always caught out by just how much winter tends to knock me for six- both in terms of tiredness and in the skincare stakes too. With that in mind, I’ve been making time...

In an attempt to be a little bit more organised than usual, this year I’m happily resurrecting a series of  gift guides! Woop! Whilst I’m convinced that it’s strictly not Christmas until the start of December, there’s no question that a little bit of forward planning definitely goes a long way at this time of the year, especially if you’re balancing buying for what feels like the world and his wife. In an attempt to be a little bit more cohesive, this year I’ve divided my gift guides up into subcategories- and for this installment I’m focusing on a selection of literary loveliness: Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life by Katherine Ormerod (published by Cassell), £10.39, Amazon/ Milkman by Anna Burns (published by Faber & Faber), £6.99, Waterstones/ The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (published by Zaffre Publishing), £6.99, Waterstones/ Step by Step: My Life in Journeys by Simon Reeve (published by Hodder & Stoughton), £16.99, Waterstones/ The Little Book of S...

At this time of the year, and especially now that the weather is on the turn, I find myself regularly reaching for an armful of seasonal beauty staples- a few of which are new additions to my routine which I’m getting on really well with. I feel like I’ve said this a million times before, but I always tend to forget just how much my skin absolutely hates the winter, and because it’s so sensitive I always feel like it needs much more tlc at this time of the year than any other. Luckily, I’ve got a stash of supplies in my seasonal arsenal to help allay those winter woes: I’m a late convert to all things Elemis, but picked up this Papaya Enzyme Peel after it was recommended to me following a facial a few weeks ago. A happy halfway house between cleanser and exfoliating mask, so far it’s really helping to pep my complexion up, and in the long run I’ve been reassured that it will solve those problematic visible pores. In truth, I’ve always been a bit weary of exfoliators as the more abrasiv...

This time of the year is, without a shred of doubt, perhaps more synonymous with tradition than any other. Whether it's the countdown to Christmas and all of the associated rituals which are so much a part and parcel of the season, or gathering around a bonfire for a gaze at some fireworks, it seems that winter comes with its own set of perennial routines. Whilst these are great markers of time passing, they can also be reminders (especially as the year draws to a close) of what you've not quite gotten round to so far; for me, the year started with a series of resolutions for myself, and whilst I've achieved some of them (travel more, tick!), some of the more practical promises have fallen a little bit by the wayside, especially as we inch closer towards the end of the year and I find energy well and truly drained (see: learning to drive). Needless to say, it's pretty tricky not to beat myself up about what I'm yet to do- especially at a time of the year which tends...