Since I don't decorate a lot here, the best way for me to get in the mood for Christmas is by lighting candles. And boy, did I went crazy on them this year! There is something so comforting about candles, and winter is the time you need extra comfort.

Project Art by Nest Fragrances Cinnamon Spice (£12.99)

This one is my favourite! I bought it at TK Maxx for £12.99, but the tag said the retail price was £24.99! They also had smaller one, but I saw them afterwards. Anyway, I love this candle. I put this in my cart instore, and all the while I was browsing I could smell it! Lovely! The name is misleading though. I wouldn't have called it Cinnamon Spice, as it is a really sweet, with a hint of cinnaomon/gingerbread. I did some research, and this company is actually a sister company to Slatkin & Co, who does the ever so popular candles at Bath & Body works! Since we don't have BBW in the UK, I'm glad I was able to purchase this! This one should burn about 125 hr, and I reckon it is likely, as I have been burning it non-stop since I bought it, and I don't even have a third used.

IKEA Tindra (£1.29)

This candle also smell like gingerbread. Unfortunately, the scent is not as strong as the Nest one. Well, I guess I have to put in the fact it's way cheaper! I have almost bruned it all, it lasted a good few hours, considering I light it everyy night since about a month! The website says the burning time is 30 hr, I think it is about right.

IKEA Yrsno (£2,29)

I haven't used this one yet. Therefore, I cannot testify about the strength of the smell or burning time. The smell is like frosted sweet berries. I like the paisley motif on the jar, it doesn't scream Christmas, so this could be used anytime of year. This one should burn up to 25 hr.

Air Wick Ribbons Scent Mulled Wine & Crackling Fire (£6)

Those are a little on the expensive side for grocery candles, but they are a good alternative to the most expensive ones (Nest, Yankee Candle, etc.) I had a few of these last year and I can't blame them. This one smells more like mulled wine than crackling fire. I guess the name sounds good and that's a good marketing startegy! Those can be found anywhere where they sell Air Wick products: ASDA, Sainsburys, Tesco, etc. Burning time on these is 30 hr.

Yankee Candle Red Apple Wreath (£1,75)

Since everyone is raving about the Yankee Candles, I decided to see what the hype was all about! I reckon these smell divine, and I had a hard time deciding which scent to get! I haven't used it yet, so cannot comment on strength and duration, but according to the Yankee website, this should burn around 15 hr.

I would really like to hear about your favourite candles in general, and Christmas ones! Please comment below :)

L'Occitane en Provence invites you to decorate your own Christmas Tree on their website! A Christmas Tree full of candies or L'Occitane products, it's up to you!

And, like all Christmas Trees, you would expect to find a gift underneath it... Well, the people at L'Occitane is giving you a 75ml Fleur Chérie Body Lotion! Once you decorated your tree, they will send you a voucher to print and bring instore for your sample!

I got a sample of the Fleur Cherie hand cream last year, and I like the smell. It is a delicate orange blossom scent.

Don't forget to decorate your tree to get your sample before Christmas!

This one has to be one of the most girly gift box from Lush! Look at all the pink goodness!

Let them feel like a kid in the sweet shop by giving them our selection box of sugary pink treats.

If you are looking for a no-fuss gift, this is the perfect solution, as it already comes packaged in a reusable box. It is also the gift to offer those girls (women) who like candy and sweet smelling beauty products.

In the box you can find:

• Candy Cane Mountain Bubble Bar

"Candy Sweet vanilla Bubble Bar for huge clouds of comforting foam"

• So White Bath Bomb

"A carpet of apple-scented snow from our baby ballistic with added froth"

• 100g Snow Fairy shower gel
  

"Shower gel from body and hair. Candy floss pink and sweet as sugar with iridescent sparkles and a hint of wicked fruitness."

• Snow Fairy lip tint
  

"Lip balm and colour that's as sweet and pink as candy floss."

• 100g Candy Cane Soap

"Lather up with this peppermint and almondy cherry fragrance-just don't eat it!"

• 60 g Rock Star Soap (in a star shape).

"Pink, sweet and full of confidence: soap with attitude."

The box is £19.95 online or in Lush stores.

Have you all picked up your Christmas gifts yet?

I forgot to put a Shopping the Stash post last week, but here is this week's. I am aware a few products this week were limited editions a while ago, and that you cannot buy them anymore, but my stash has a lot of old stuff!

UNE Skin-Glow Foundation

I had this foundation since April or so, but didn't really like it. It was tacky, and made my under eyes look ashy. I have tried it the other day, and since winter time is here, the tackyness problem is gone. I guess my skin needed more moisture than I thought! I still have the under eye problem, but I guess I'll just avoid that area with this product.


Sleek Blush in Flamingo

I totally forgot I had this! That's why Shopping the Stash is good! I like how this shade is giving me a doll look, all innocent!


Maybelline Expert Eyes Eyeshadow in New Gloss City

How ridiculous are those long names?! But this quad has been my favourite for years (I think it was limited edition for the Holiday period a while ago). I am almost hitting pan on three of the shades. The only one I am not using as much is the purple one; it has a different formulation and is hard to work with.


Avon Astonishing Lengths Mascara in Black

I like how this mascara is giving length. If that's your main concern, you might want to try it. However, in general I prefer volume. But I enjoy using this mascara, it doesn't clump and gives a nice effect.


Lancôme Color Fever in 312

This is the perfect frosty pink! It is nice with purple eyeshadow, again I am thinking of this doll-faced look.


Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss in Pink Champagne

Again, I think this was limited edition, as I don't see this shade on their website anymore. But it has been one of the first nude gloss I have worn, and even though I still have problems with working nudes, this shade is easy to wear.


Barry M Glossy Tubein Shout1

Another limited edition product. I got this one in Shout Mag last year. It has a nice pinkish peach colour.

Please link below if you have shopped your stach this week!

Ah! I'm glad this one turned out ok!

I used Leighton Denny Sex Kitten, a frosty pale blue on all my nails except the ring fingers. On those, I used Nails inc Denim (from last year's Catwalk collection), and then a few swipes of a silver haxagonal glittter.

This colour has no name, but it comes from NailNation Glitter Nail Polish & Emery Board I bought at the 99p store.


I really like the silver glitter on that particular shade of blue! I like the fact it's not as dark as navy blue.

What do you think?

A few weeks ago, I received a package full or hair care products! Yay! That's because I was chosen (again) to take part in a Savvy Circle trial. If you are not registered with them yet, you should because they have those nice trials opportunities!

Pantene has launched 3 new ranges catering to specific hair needs:

• from the fine hair range: Aqua Light. With micro-fortifiers to help reinforce fine hair, leaving virtually no weight.
• from the normal to thick hair range: Repair & Protect. With micro-nourishers to help lock in moisture deep down, leaving your hair healthy looking and full of shine.
• from the coloured hair range: Protect & Smooth. With double-effect complex to protect your hair while leaving it beautifully smooth.

I have received the normal to thick hair one, Repair & Protect. Now, after seeing their How to find your Hair Type post, I discovered my hair actually qualify as fine. Let me explain: each individual hair is fine, but I have a lot of it, so my mane is thick, Now, I'm glad I received the range for normal to thick hair, as i am now looking to give myself volume that much!

The Repair & Protect range consists of shampoo, conditionner and serum. In the following weeks, I will let you know my thoughts on them!

Also, another good part is that they gave me samples to share with whoever I want! That means you! I have different samples with Repair and Protect, Aqua Light and Protect & Smooth. I also have money off vouchers to give away!

Let me know if you would like to have a sample and a voucher at msbububusiness@gmail.com All I ask is that after trying it, you come back here to comment on what you think about it!

What do you think about Pantene products?

Everything seemed to go against me for this nail look. Although it is so simple, a kid could do it! But I think my nail polishes decided to be nasty, and either bubbled, didn't dry, messed up...

Anyway, as I said, the idea was simple: paint my nails in pink, except an accent nail, that I would all paint white. But for Some reason I painted all my nails white... And then had to put pink over it (except for accent nail, again).

I would then proceed to paint stripes on my accent nail. To stick with the candy cane themed, I chose green, red, pink to put over the white. I also wanted the white to pop through. I used scotch tape as guidelines. The first scotch tape I used was really sticky, so at some point my polish was melting... I then proceed to take a less sticky one, but it seems to make things worst... (I did let a crazy amount of time in between each colour...)

Last, I put a clear top coat. Somehow, the red on my left hand bleeded...But not on my left hand, which is not good enough anyway to show you...


I used:

• Nails Inc Battersea Park (green)
  
• Nails Inc Floral Street (white)
  
• Nails Inc Westbourne (frosty pink)
  
• Revlon All Fired Up (red)
  
• MUA Nail Polish Shade 17 (clear)
  

I do like the frosty pink polish, I think I might use it more often!

If you do a Candy Cane nails, please link below!

A few weeks ago, I was invited to preview the new Mary Poppins collection from Made of Carpet.

Made of Carpet is a fairly new company that designs and sells bags made of (yes you guessed!) carpets! I thought this was such a cool concept! I have never heard of such a thing, but apparently the idea comes back from the Victorian era. Hence the theme of this collection, Mary Poppins, the fantastic English nanny.

I have talked with Irina Bragin, the woman behind this brand. She told me how she has been influenced by English literature characters such as Mary Poppins and Miss Marple, but tailoring the bags for modern life, lasting a lifetime. Each bag is made out of one carpet and the new collection has 5 models. Other companies offer similar products made from tapestry, but Made of Carpet is the only one designed with authentic Oriental-style carpet. This makes them original and unique.

Bags retail for £120-£140.

The new Mary Poppins collection is now launched on the Made of Carpet Website. By using the code TELLUS, you will have £20 off the new collection (valid until the end of 2011). Also, the Victorian collection is now 50%.

I think this makes for a truly original gift for Christmas!

What do you think of the Made of Carpet concept?

This time, I decided to do a christmassy moon nails. I didn't have any of the guides, and I knew you could do them with the stickers you put around the holes of paper sheets to protect them (don't know the name for that). But I didn't have any on hand, so I used those round stickers that I cut in half (that's what you do with the other stickers as well).


I think gold and magenta go really well together. I used OPI Glamour Game (from the Holiday in Toyland collection), a champagne, pearly gold. A golden moon, a little more original than silver! The other polish I used Nails Inc Buckingham Street, a glittery magenta with golden specks.

It's really simple to make. I painted two coats of Glamour Game, as it is pretty sheer. I then stuck the half-stickers on the bed of my nails, and painted the tip with Buckingham Street.

And there you have it, moon nails! Don't forget to link to you Chrismas nails!

I am not a big tea drinker (I prefer coffee), but I like loose leaf and flower tea. Don't you think they look waaaaaaaaaaay nicer that the tea bags?

I had the opportunity to review Choi Time Tea, a quality Chinese tea company. I have received the gift box-trio of tea* containing Jasmine Green Tea pearls, Damask Rose Buds and Chrysanthemum flowers. I was particularly intrigued by the Damask Rose Buds one, as I like flower tea. Each portion of tea can make 3 to 5 cups of tea.

One thing I noticed about these teas is that the flavours are subtle. Which can be either good or bad, depending if you like yours strong or not. At first, I tought it was weird, and I was wondering how can I make another cup of tea with those leaves? But the good thing is that contratry to ordinary tea, where all the flavours develop in the first cup and if you add water again it is a watered version of the tea, this one is consistent with its flavours.

I also found the green tea really relaxing. Green tea has cafeine in it, but I drank this one at night, and it felt like herbal tea in the way that it soothes me. I also noticed than drinking this tea with a banging headache helped me with the pain.

Overall, I think this tea would make a good present or a nice tea when you have people over. I wouldn't consider this as an everyday tea, it's too pretty for it! These are perfect for a little tea ritual, as its visual aspect is striking.

A box of three tea is £15 on Choi Time website.

What is your favourite tea?

*Disclaimer: Product offer for review consideration through Fuel my Blog.