What I Got For Christmas: Beauty Goodies!

 Since one of the main topics I write about on here is beauty and recently  I've been seeing tonnes of What I Got For Christmas posts, I thought I'd do a little one of my own! I don't usually like doing posts about gifts or anything of that sort -- always feels a bit like bragging or showing off to me, but I thought I'd give it a go, anyway. If you want a review of any of these things, just let me know!

China Glaze Nail Varnishes in (L-R) Champagne Kisses, City Siren, and Evening Seduction.

I'm going to paint my nails with City Siren later on, I've yet to try the other two. I haven't worn red for about a month so I'm quite excited to give this one a go! I love reds and deep colours for autumn/winter. And I cannot wait to try the glittery gold one -- and wear it on my toes with these shoes. The glitter on the shoes matches almost exactly to that of the varnish. How tacky/fabulous is that?!

OPI Nail Envy, Nail Bliss Pro Top Seal

I've given both of these a try already and love both! 

I'd been considering trying OPI's Nail Envy strengthener but hadn't, so I was very grateful to receive a bottle at Christmas. It definitely seems to have strengthened my nails, and I love that you can wear it under varnish unlike many other strengtheners I'd considered. It dries very quickly and can be worn on its own if you like, it just makes your nails a little extra shiny!

I also love this Nail Bliss top coat. It's a thicker formula than many top coats I've tried and I always prefer thicker ones as I find they do a better job of protecting your varnish. I've used OPI's top coat for absolute ages, but I may consider switching to this one as it seems to work as well and is slightly less expensive. It's available at Sally Beauty in Canada, for anyone curious.

5th Avenue Perfume by Elizabeth Arden, MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

These are two of my favourite things I was given this Christmas. 

5th Avenue is an Elizabeth Arden which was introduced by the brand in the mid '90s. It features floral, sandalwood, and vanilla notes and is a lovely fresh scent -- I can definitely see myself wearing this quite a bit this spring and summer! And I love, love the bottle. I have an old jewellery box that once belonged to my granmum and when I first smelt this perfume, I was immediately reminded of it. I'm not 100% certain that she wore this particular perfume, but I think it's quite likely.

Ruby Woo is a classic red lipstick by MAC. It's very vibrant and matte -- two of my favourite qualities in a red lipstick! My only grievance is that it's quite dry, but that's nothing that cannot be fixed by first applying a balm. Many have noted its similarity to MAC's Russian Red (a personal favourite of mine), and I agree that it is similar. However, Russian Red has a slightly glossier finish, and is a slightly deeper red, in my opinion.

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