Bonus Gift Guide: For those who left it until now...

So, it's the night before Christmas Eve and you've left it until now, haven't you? The terror has taken over and you've no idea what to do. Put down the scratch cards and boxes of chocolates. I repeat - put them down.

Never fear! Colette is here.

I know I proclaimed a recent gift guide the last of the year but this is the emergency guide. Someone, somewhere pressed a panic button and I came running to see what was wrong. Let's look at some scenarios.

SCENARIO: You've bought absolutely nothing.

SOLUTION: Places like Dunnes, TK/TJ Maxx, Lidl, Tesco etc.

Some of these places are better than others but if you haven't bought a thing, a store with multiple departments under one roof is your saving grace. One trip, all of your gifts. These types of stores suit various price points and offer a location to buy gifts suitable for all sorts of people and age groups. Dunnes, for example, has beautiful homewares, clothes, accessories, toys and food.

SCENARIO: You've put it off because you don't have a lot of money and you have no idea what you'll be able to afford.

SOLUTION: Jars.

Jars are your friend. "How so?" you might ask. They offer the opportunity to make several different kind of highly personalised DIY gifts that show how much you know and care about a person - without spending a lot of money. Here are some options:

1. Buy some medium sized jars, some paint, ribbon and tealights. Paint a nice pattern on the outside - snow or stars or something equally festive. Now pop a tealight inside and tie a ribbon around the top. You can also paint a message or the year on the bottom. This would be a nice gift for relatives or friends and shows you put the effort in.

2. Buy a larger jar and fill it with a person's favourite sweets and, again, present with some nice ribbon. Bonus points: try track down sweets they can't get readily or have admitted to loving as kids but not having eaten in years. Showing you listen to someone can be more impressive than the fanciest gift!

3. Buy a medium jar, glitter and laminate a nice photo. Firmly attach the photo to the inside base of the jar upside down, add water leaving a little room at the top, pour in some glitter, tightly close the jar and present with the lid facing downwards. You've now made a personalised snowglobe just for them! Bonus points: pick a really cute photo of you with the person - it's like an even sweeter version of you giving them a framed photo.

4. Buy a large jar and the ingredients to a person's favourite cakes or cookies. Bake the cookies/cakes and place inside the jar, decorating it with some nice ribbon etc.

SCENARIO: You don't know someone very well/they're just difficult to buy for.

SOLUTION: Unless they're someone very close to you (or odd), scented candles may be your solution!

It's always nice to get something luxurious as a gift that you probably wouldn't spend your own money on. It might not have the sentiment of some of the other suggestions in this post but it's a safe bet for many people. I mean, who doesn't like nice smells and pretty candle light?

SCENARIO: You have only practical/boring gifts bought for a parent/close friend/significant other and want to give them something else more heartfelt as well.

SOLUTION: A photo album.

We rarely print our photos anymore and it's always nice to have the physical ones about the house but who has time to get them developed these days? Therefore, not only are you doing something they probably wish they made time for, you also have the opportunity to show someone how much the matter to you and how they have shaped your life. Try to include cinema or travel ticket stubs, short paragraphs or memories and other bits and pieces as well as the photos in order to really tug on their heartstrings.

SCENARIO: You're super-stumped, don't want to face the shops and have no time left to order anything online.

SOLUTION: Get on Ticketmaster or a similar site and check out the gigs, plays, shows etc coming up in the next few months. A band they like is gonna play soon? Buy a ticket online, print it out, pop it in a card and hey presto! You're not only showing knowledge of things they like, you're giving them your time and setting a moment aside just for you guys. Super-sweet.

Hope this helped! Happy Christmas!

Gift Guide 2014 - Beauty and Grooming

I think that there are few things as lovely a surprise and wonderfully decadent as beauty or grooming products as gifts. Especially when they are things you would never justify buying for yourself. High-end cosmetics and skincare are a nice gift idea for people already obsessed or even those not yet converted. Particularly skincare, taking care of your skin is important for everyone and the sooner you get started, the better. Christmas also means cute gift sets and special edition products.

Here's the stuff I picked out after a lengthy trawl all over the internet.

There's a mixture of types of products here. I didn't want to go down the route of "for him" or "for her", "for dad" or "for mam", etc. I personally think there's something a wee bit...condescending about that? Like, I don't know what your mother would like, if your sister wears makeup or if your brother likes to smell like fancy bath products. Obviously there is some traditional gendering present or insinuated but I didn't want to impose it on others. So, instead, I present things I thought were cool to do with as you please (or don't). The only thing I would say is that when it comes to skincare, men and women do have different needs and would suggest buying the prescribed sets for the indicated genders...even if your male friends are well jealous of your Eve Lom moisturiser.

Makeup suggestions come from a range of brands and price points. The Topshop Smokey Eye Kit has since sold out online but is available in stores at £22.00 and is not only sweet because it comes with an eye palette, mascara and kohl but also is sold in a box which makes it perfect to give as is or easier to wrap. The Nars lip pencils are not only dreamy colours but pretty damn good value at £32.00 for five high end lip products. And, while the Charlotte Tilbury palette may seem pricey at €50.00, it's the ultimate luxury palette in screen siren shades and uber-gorgeous packaging. More wallet-friendly options under twenty quid are the Etude House lipsticks, The Balm face palette and the super-sweet novelty lip glosses from Urban Outfitters in the shape of a mince pie and gingerbread man. Another inexpensive idea is the eye makeup keyring from H&M which makes for a really cool stocking filler and the nail polish cracker set from Urban Outfitters which I'd like as a pleasant change from ones with crappy plastic toys inside. My last pick here is the exceptionally gorgeous brush set from Bobbi Brown which is less affordable, more drool-worthy.

I've chosen two makeup bags/wash bags which really could be unisex - more so in the case of the Herschel wash bag and less so in the case of the ASOS makeup bag. I think both are simple but cute enough to also work for a range of different people and age groups in your life.

The remaining items are all grooming or skincare. The Eve Lom kit is a stunner, packed with awesome skincare, while the Clinique Good Skin for men is less aesthetically pleasing but equally effective. Speaking of stunning, the Baylis and Harding set is a steal with an amazing weekend bag and five products for under forty euro! This a seriously good deal and won't go remiss in anyone's life - whether it be a slightly out-of-touch dad in need of a little chic in his life or a boyfriend looking to make his wardrobe a little more grown up...or a Colette in love with the bag. The L'Occitane Shaving Tradition set is less good value but equally chic and adult - a serious touch of luxury for a dude in your life. More luxury is present in the form of the Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille bath set. It's one of my favourite scents for good reason and this set is pure decadence. Lastly, RJR John Rocha at Debenhams are offering these lovely little manicure sets and making the mundane seem wantable.

So, see anything you want...I mean any good ideas for gifts...heh...heh.

What's in my makeup bag?

So, until rather recently, I didn't carry a makeup bag around with me. I don't really tend to do touch-ups during the day as I always feel weird doing my makeup if it's either in front of others or in a public restroom or both. I just don't really want to spend more time than necessary in most bathrooms. I also have been dying to pee in a queue for the loos enough times to find it morally objectionable to add to the traffic in a bathroom. (What do women do in restrooms? Why are the lines always so long?)

*end mini rant*

But, as anyone who carries bags on the reg knows, it's always a pain to swap things to a new bag. It's also annoying to be unable to find anything you need in your bag. I normally only need my lip balm, perfume, blotting paper, compact mirror and sun cream during the day and decided to put them into a pouch to make them easier to find. Then I added in my other major essentials so I'm good to go if I end up crashing somewhere, some disaster befalls the makeup on my face and I feel the need to redo it all instead of just washing it off for some reason and to simply keep the stuff I use most together.

These essentials include my Dream Pure BB and Baby Lips in Peach Kiss from Maybelline,  17's Superlash mascara and eyeliner, Primark's Volume Boost mascara, Benefit's The Porefessional primer, TONYMOLY's Bunny Gloss Bar in Cherry, Topshop's Gloss Lipgloss in Long Time No See, Clinique's Eyeliner in Brown Sugar, a sample of Chloe (because it's easier than carrying the bottle), Dr Bronner Organic Lip Balm in Peppermint, L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom solid perfume, Catrice's Blotting paper, my compact which is from the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork with an image from Harry Clarke's Eve of St Agnes and my Nivea Sun Kids Pocket Size sunscreen SPF 50. The bag is from Lulu Guinness and I use it as a makeup bag and clutch intermittently. I do think it's too gorgeous to be forever given the supporting role of makeup bag, non?

What's key in your makeup bag? Anyone interested in me doing a post on my daily makeup routine, comment below!

(Everything I've talked about has been linked where possible and something similar in some cases)

Ultimate Spring Smells.

I've been marching all over Dublin, sampling smells in order to pick the best ones for this season. Here's the fruit(y fragrance) of my labour. The following are my four top picks for Spring 2014. Usually I stick to my favourite perfumes all year 'round but I've stumbled across some lovely ones lately and it made me rethink that whole approach. And when fate intervenes, who are we mere mortals to question it?

1. Laura Mercier Ambre Vanillé.

This scent is pretty warm and may be more of a winter smell to some but the sweet floral and fruity undertones add freshness. It's both comfort and sweetness in a scent. My current fave - no doubt. €60

Sidenote: Sarah thinks this smells like whiskey and Shinny reckons it smells like talc...bizarre.

2. Chloé Signature.

A classic. Instantly rewarding, very pretty and ever-chic. Love. From €31.

3. L'Occitane Néroli and Orchidée.

Not something I'd normally be drawn to but the lovely girl in the Wicklow Street store really sold it to me. Super-intriguing. €57.

4. Roses de Chloé.

This is a perfume that settles well. Once you give it some time, it's lovely. And, as it needs time, you are less like to douse yourself in it as you might be with the original Chloé - a true danger. From €35.

So, thar you are. Perhaps this was not the most informative about the scents but it's my feelings and opinions on the matter. Do you change up your smells each season? Any you're digging right now?

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Plus a Giveaway)

Lol. I'm only messing. There's no murder, murderers or murdering in this post. There is, however, perfume.

A particularly common Christmas gift is some sort of fragrance. Many of us will have experienced this first- hand very recently. The attitudes towards gifting perfume are summed up by the following exchange in Father Ted.

Dougal: Perfume is the ideal woman present, isn't it?

Ted: Yes, well that's why God invented perfume, so you don't have to put any thought into it whatsoever.

Now, of course most people actually gift perfume with the best of intentions. However, as I have discussed before, it is a tricky gift to give. Perfume is quite personal and terribly subjective. Most people don't stray much from their favourites. In fact, for the first five or six years that I used perfume, I stuck rigidly to one at a time. So much so that Armani Code is sixteen year old me to my friends and Daisy by Marc Jacobs is first year of college. If I wear either now, it freaks Daniel out a little.

Since then, I've come around to having between three and four perfumes on the go at any one time. Still, I would only trust my mother to pick a new scent for me - no one else in the world.

My rule of thumb is; unless they already wear it/said they wanted it, don't buy it.

My mother was my educator in all such things. She always has the most beautiful perfumes and calls the new 'it' scents. My early perfumes were hand-me-downs or inherited and taken on as my own. As a family, we have run through quite a few scents, as a result of Mammy's passion and knowledge. I decided to gather all that was in the house; unfinished, out-grown, forgotten, old, new, gifted and chosen.

It turns out we have a shit-ton. It's a bit mental, really. So, I've decided to rummage through it all and do some reviews.

Here goes.


Men's Scents.

Chanel No. 5
This cologne has such a powdery scent that it makes me think of talcum powder. It's rather gentle and a little sweet. Not really my cup of tea.
3.5/5

Gucci Guilty
A traditional aftershave scent it has a minty undertone. It's very pleasant and I love that the packaging looks like a hip flask.
4/5

Calvin Klein Man
A traditionally masculine scent it has notes of liqourice. There is nothing particularly unpleasant about this cologne but it, again, does not suit my tastes.
3.5/5

Intimately Beckham
A fresh and light scent, it is warm and smells like a nice bath.
4/5


Celebrity Scents.

Halle by Halle Berry
A sweet and citrussy scent which is light and fresh with powdery notes this was a real surprise and show-stopper. I have never owned any celebrity perfumes of my own but my sister receives them on a regular basis from friends. I'm so impressed by the quality and lovely coppery packaging. My mother uses another two scents by Halle Berry and both are also pretty - clearly the celebrity to smell like.
4.5/5

Christina Aguilera Inspire
A light, powdery daytime scent, it is very traditional and harmless. Not much to say for or against this one.
3.5/5

Kate Moss Velvet Hour
Light but kind of musky and very subtle - again I was pleasantly surprised.
4/5

Curious by Britney Spears
Floral and sweet it is unremarkable and unoffensive.
3/5

Earliest Scents.

Anna Sui Sui Love
This is one of the first perfumes I ever used and was more grown-up than I remember. It is sweet with a hint of musk and is diverse - it could easily be worn during day or night.
4/5

Anna Sui Secret Wish
It is very sweet and floral with something dark underneath it all. I can't believe I forgot how delicious this is. It's going back into regular use.
4.5/5

Touch of Pink by Lacoste
Powdery, light and sweet this perfume was a favourite for a long time. I couldn't believe how much of this perfume we actually had left - 4 bottles which were almost full.
4/5

Dunhill Desire
Dark and musky but still not particularly strong - it didn't leave much of an impression.
3.5/5

Very Irresistible by Givenchy
A very traditional scent which is, for me, slightly pongy and doesn't smell expensive. Not a fan.
3/5

So...wild?
This scent really surprised me. It's a drugstore/pharmacy brand unlike all the others which are high end and yet it was surprisingly nice and quite subtle. It's also lasted very well as I must have been in my early teens when a girl in my class gave it to me. However, this sweet scent is somewhat unremarkable and doesn't last on the skin well despite being strong at first.
3/5

Touch of Sun by Lacoste
Very fruity, uncomplicated and pleasing.
4/5

Discovered Unused Perfumes.

Polly Mixture by Ted Baker
I think Anna got this as a gift at some point and I want to steal it! Sweet and very floral, it's just lovely.
4.5/5

Beautiful by Estee Lauder
No idea where this came from but, frankly, it can go back there. It's pongy, old-fashioned and unremarkable.
2.5/5

Andy Warhol 
Again, the origins of this is a mystery but it has always intrigued me. I guess some part of me knew it'd be horrible and, so, I'd never tried it before today. What a disappointment! And it's packaged so awesomely. Pongy, unremarkable and cheap-smelling.
2.5/5

The packaging is cool though.

Clinique Happy Heart

Along with a gift set of Touch of Pink I found one of Happy Heart. Powdery and sweet, it is very pleasant indeed.

4/5

Samples.

Roses de Chloe
Must. Have. This is one of three samples I found among all our perfumes and I LOVE IT. Flowery and sweet it is rather traditional but ever so lovely.
4.5/5

Down Town by Calvin Klein
Citrussy and powdery and just enough of everything.
4/5

Versace cologne
I guess it's just called Versace? No other name on the bottle. It's so cute, non? Musky and traditional but just right.
4/5

My Currents and All-Time Favourites.

Armani Code, Lacoste and Daisy have remained constant favourites over the years which I return to again and again. New loves are Amore Mio Forever and L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom. I'll get around to doing a full review of both at some point.

So, there you have it, analysis of a crapload of perfumes! Hopefully, this will help inform you in buying perfume as a gift or give you ideas for a new scent to try.

And, as a bonus, I have a giveaway for y'all, my dear lovely readers - A Closer by Halle Berry set with perfume, body lotion and shower gel. All you have to do is be a follower of the blog, like me on facebook and comment below. Competition will close at midnight on Sunday the 12th of January. It's that simple. Good luck! x

The Wide-Eyed and Blind Best of 2013.

There is little rhyme or reason to this list, just a love for everything on it.

Best Fragrance: L'Occitane Cherry Blossom.

It's the girliest scent I've owned in easily a decade but, boy, is it beautiful. LOVE.

Best Beauty Product: L'oreal Manga Eyes - Purple

Not so practical or natural looking but oh-so adorable. The most fun product I've bought in a long time.

Best collection: Stella McCartney AW 2013-14. 

She never disappoints. Particularly I loved the masculine shapes and fabrics, clean lines and continuation of something understated in a year when even Ms Philo nodded her head at something other than minimalism.

Best Buy: My Isabel Marant x H&M pants. 

Hands down. They're so comfy and lovely. Technically they were a gift from my siblings but meh, technicalities.

Here they are behind the tank which was a close second for this category.

Best New TV Series: The Originals/Once Upon a Time in Wonderland/Reign.

So, I bitched out and chose three. It was too hard to pick just one winner! The Originals is up there because I'm such a TVD fan and the spin-off wonderfully didn't let me down. I also have a wee bit of a thing for Phoebe Tonkin. And I'm a sucker for tales of redemption so I'm holding out hope for Klaus - although, he'd better not become too tame...

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland surprised me. I love Alice's character so much and to see the whole Damsel in Distress thing turned on its head is awesome.

And, Reign. How could I forget Reign? The costumes, the love story, the soap opera notes.....it's just perfect.

Best Album: Night Time, My Time by Sky Ferreira

I was waiting on this album and it held up. First album in ages that has been both a fave and danceable - all good things.

PS They're just boobs, world, get over it.

Best Track: Lift me Up by Mree

Repeat much? So, so beautiful.

Best Movie: Much Ado About Nothing/Before Midnight.

Joss and a fantastic third installment - what's not to love?

Best Book: Dracula.

Yes, I finally got around to reading it. And I was finally old enough not to be too freaked out (much). Bonus points for my edition being a reproduction of the original. So much nicer than gaudy, modern editions.

Best Editorial: Arizona Muse for Vogue Russia by Tom Craig, June 2013

So effortless and lovely.

Best Model: Arizona Muse.

Runner-up for Best Hair and one of my favourite models for a while now. She's defo having a moment.

Best Dressed: Mary Queen of Scots.

She may be a stylised version of the past and a character in a tv show but DAMN.

Best Hair: Freja Beha Erichsen

Sigh. Everything I want in hair. I've been banned by many people in my life from cutting my hair though....

Wide-Eyed and Blind Gift Guide VI - Stocking Fillerz - This time it's Personal.

And here's the final gift guide! The image above lllustrates a few items from the list but the full list is compiled on Luvocracy - which is basically the shoppable pinterest! Find my collection here and buy directly from it!

Christmas Gift Guide - Part II - Nice-smelling and beautifying stuff.

I like stuff that smells nice, don't you? I also love when people give me beauty sets I'd be to mean to buy for myself. I don't wear a lot of makeup but I think it's pretty fun to play around with. Therefore, here's a list of things I think are lovely to get of whiff of or a gift of and some things for painting your face!

1. The Mandarin, Clove and Cinnamon range in M&S.

I have the handwash and candle and can vouch for both. Prices start at around five euro and everything is 3 for 2!

2. This Too Faced Glamour To Go palette is majorly cute and compact, with most of what you'd need on a daily basis and, to boot, retails at under thirty euro. It can be purchased in Boots or online and makes a good gift for any gal on the go!

3. L'occitane Soaps for Gentlemen are packaged beautifully and I like the idea of men being given stuff that is purely to treat themselves as well as women. Plus, L'occitane soaps are AMAZING. They retail at twenty two euro and are available here.

4. L'occitane makes various Verveine scented products and it's my favourite scent by far. It's the soap I've been using for five years now. I LOVE it. So, this gift set would be a dream. It's fifty euro which is marked down and is pretty good value if you price individual items. Buy it here.

5. The Stila Lip Glaze Trio in Elegant Emerald is great as a stocking filler or for those on a smaller budget. Pick it up in Brown Thomas for fifteen euro and fifty cent and leave it in that iconic little bag for a sense of luxury. 

6. The Dr Hauschka Aromatherapy Kit is another good value item which is unisex and could be shared. The packaging is lovely and the scents sound amazing. It can be found at Nourish for sixteen thirty.

7. Paul Costelloe's perfume bottle for Dunnes Stores is a touch of elegance and vintage glamour that is something I would never buy for myself but I think most would adore as a gift. It retails at thirty euro so it's a bit of an indulgence but a sweet idea. 

8. This makeup brush set from Topshop is no longer available and I've yet to find one as nice. However, such a gift would be lovely. 

9. This candle from Carolyn Donnelly for Dunnes is just the right scent and the right price. I don't really agree with spending crazy amount of money on candles and the ones in Dunnes are never over-powering. Retailing at twelve euro, it hits all the right notes.

10. Finally, the Topshop Best Of Kit is so covetable. The pouch, the items included - I want it all! It retails at forty pounds and it's quite a bit of bang for your buck.

That's all for now, folks! Next Gift Guide is food and drink!