Sunset Desires: 2020

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Most of us can't go out this year so what better way to spend Christmas Eve than with a Christmas movie night? I'll be talking you through everything you need to make it a perfect night in.

What To Watch

For starters, you are, of course, going to have to pick something to watch. To make it the perfect Christmas night in it needs to be a Christmas movie. With Christmas movies, there is usually something for everyone. Netflix is generally the best place to find an array of different types of Christmas movies.

In the mood for a comedy? Then A Bad Moms Christmas or The Night Before would make excellent choices. Want something a bit more romantic? Then My Christmas Inn or Operation Christmas Drop are super cute choices. Two perfect choices for kids would be The Grinch (2018's animated version) or Nativity. You could also try something completely different and go with a Christmas horror film, Krampus is you go-to one for that category.

If none of those options tickles your fancy then just search Christmas in Netflix's search bar and a huge selection comes up. I've worked my way through many of them over the last few years.

What To Wear

In terms of what to wear, your best bet would be something cosy and comfortable. You don't want to be sat watching a movie in jeans unless that's your thing! Joe Brown's have a lovely selection of clothing items to suit the occasion. My favourite choices from their website currently are their Magenta Cable Knit Cardigan because who doesn't love a good cardigan?, a Basic White T-shirt which is an absolute classic go-to and lastly their grey woodland Thermal Leggings because everyone needs a comfy pair of leggings in their life. Finish the look off with a pair of their Tiger Fluffy Slippers and you'll be good to go!

If you wanted to go all out with the Christmas theme you could wear a pair of fantastic Christmas pyjamas. Ultimate festive vibes.

Drinks & Snacks

The drinks & the snacks have to be the best pair of a movie night in right? The perfect movie snack is definitely some popcorn. It's a classic so why not make your own? All you need are some kernels, oil and a flavouring to finish them off. If cooking isn't your thing then the best option is to pick up a couple of microwave popcorn bags from your local supermarket. Place the bag in the microwave and a minute or so later, perfect popcorn!

Make sure you also top-up your chocolate selection as chocolate is definitely my favourite go-to movie snack. Pick a few different sharing bags and you are good to go! Milkybar Buttons and Galaxy Counters are my ultimate movie favourites. A great Christmas chocolate choice could be a box of Roses or Quality Street, unless you are saving them for the big day!

As for drinks, the perfect cosy night in drink definitely has to be a good hot chocolate. My choice is always the Galaxy Frothy one as it's just so yummy. Pop some marshmallows in to give it a more luxury feeling or even some cinnamon flavouring to give it that festive touch and enjoy the warmth spreading through your body.

Extra Comforts

One extra comfort I love when watching a movie is a big, soft, fluffy blanket. You cannot beat a fluffy blanket on these colder nights. I own a few and definitely love to get myself wrapped up in them when watching a movie or just any time really.

Another extra comfort I love is something that not everyone can do but if you have a real fire set up in your living room, then get it going! It will add to the cosy Christmas vibes and will be the perfect finishing touch to your movie night. If you don't have a real fire, then candles will be a great alternative.

What do you do to make sure you have the perfect Christmas movie night in? Let me know below and while you are here why not check out more of my Christmas content?

20 Christmas Films I Have Seen Recently

24 December 1 comments

It's only 3 days until Christmas! Here is my next giveaway. This time I'll be giving away a Blue Coffee Box which includes 2 full bags of coffee.

Blue Coffee Box is a coffee subscription service where you will either receive a bag or a box of 2 bags of coffee which will be different coffees for you to try, depending on your subscription type. You can even buy a one-off subscription to try it before you delve into a full subscription.

To pick your subscription, you first have to pick between a bag or a box, then whether it's for you or someone special, then the third option is to pick coffee type.

There are various types of coffee to pick to make sure you get the right one for you and your machines at home. This includes beans, coarse grind for cafetiere, medium grind for pour-overs or filter drippers, medium/fine grind for Aeropress coffee makers and a fine grind for espresso machines and stovetops.

Then there is the option to pick from a light roast, medium roast or dark roast as well as a surprise me option if you don't mind which you receive. Once that is selected you can then pick whether you want decaf or standard. The next option is to pick whether you want the coffee every 2 weeks, monthly or every 2 months followed by how long you want the subscription for. Blue Coffee Box makes sure that every subscription is as suitable as possible to the customer which means you will get exactly what you want.

If you fancy buying yourself a subscription you can use code LM3 to get £3 off any product on their website.

Today I'll be giving away a Blue Coffee Box subscription which will include 2 various coffees inside. I featured a box on my Christmas Gift Guide so feel free to go over there and have a look. To enter to win, fill in the Gleam widget below which includes various entry options. The giveaway is open worldwide and will end on the 31st December 2020.

You can also check out my other giveaways I have running at the moment:

6 Days Until Christmas Perky Blenders Giveaway

5 Days Until Christmas KIND Giveaway

4 Days Until Christmas LUMIN Giveaway

22 December 32 comments

21 December 37 comments

20 December 47 comments

19 December 38 comments

10 December 1 comments

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I'm back with another Femme Luxe Mix and Match post. This time around I have four pieces to try and work into various outfits. These pieces are a black corset top, a leopard print dress, a pair of marble print joggers and a co-ord black set, so that is technically five pieces to try to mix and match.

Black Zip Up Ribbed Skirt Co-Ord - Tinley

The first Femme Luxe item we have is this co-ord which is actually two items in one. It comes with this gorgeous zip-up, long-sleeved top and a basic black mini skirt. I started by wearing these two pieces together to create this look. The zip-up can be adjusted up or down as it has two zips which means the top itself can be worn in various ways. They are ribbed pieces which adds a nice extra little detail. The great thing about both these pieces is that they could work with almost anything as they are very versatile.

Black Hook & Eye Front Corset Crop Top - Rina

The second item I picked was this amazing black corset crop top. I first paired this piece with the skirt from the co-ord set above and I think it works really well. The corset has a dip hem so can be worn both tucked in as well as out on top of the skirt. It is a very flattering piece. Another way I could try and wear this top would be to have a roll neck, long-sleeved jumper underneath to give it a warm winter look. I haven't tried that for this post but it's something I will try in the future.

White & Black Marble Print Cuffed Joggers - Caiden

I then paired the corset top with my third item, which is these really amazing marble print joggers. I love anything with marble print so I knew I had to pick these joggers up. This is actually the third pair of these joggers I have as I also have them in baby pink and in grey too. They are fleeced inside which means they are super warm and cosy and perfect for winter. I wanted to try the corset top with the joggers as I thought it might be a good idea to try a luxe piece with a loungewear piece. I think it works really well but please do let me know in the comments your thoughts.

For the fourth look, I wore the marble joggers with the zip-up top from the two-piece. This again gives it a similar luxe and loungewear mixed vibe. It's a very big trend at the moment so you have probably seen something similar around on Instagram.

Brown Leopard Print Satin Ruched Side Slip Mini Dress - Maeve

For the fourth and final item, I picked this lovely leopard print dress. I actually have this dress in two other colours, in red and black. I loved them so much I had to get it in leopard print too! I first started by wearing it on its own to give the dress it's full effect. It has ruching on the side which can be adjusted with the strings so it can be made shorter or longer depending on your preference.

I then paired the leopard print dress over a roll-neck jumper that I already had in my wardrobe. I actually have this jumper in 6 or so colours as they can be worn with just about anything. Adding a layer like this under the dress means this dress can be worn in winter as well as summer. It adds a nice cosy feel and pairing it with a pair of over-the-knee boots will finish the look off completely.

For the third and final look with the dress, I wore it with the black mini skirt by tucking it into the skirt. This is something I love to do with dresses I own as it gives the dress a whole different look while making your wardrobe even more versatile.

So, which outfit or piece did you like the most and what would you wear with the said piece? Let me know in the comments below and while you are here why not check out more of my fashion content?

Femme Luxe Loungewear

1 Top, 3 Trousers

If you like my outfits you can find more of them over on my Instagram page. Feel free to give me a follow over there.

05 December 1 comments

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Are you a fashion blogger, influencer or someone who wants to be one, who is struggling to take good outfit photos? Then look no further than today's post where I will be telling you my top tips to improve your outfit photos.

Choosing A Background

First up before you think about taking any photos, you need to have a good background. If you are wanting to work with brands then you need your photos to look as professional as possible. It's no use wearing a fantastic outfit if your background is cluttered as this will distract from the clothes you are trying to show, so make sure the area is clean and tidy.

One of the best options is to have a plain wall behind you as that will then give the most focus to the outfit. If a plain wall isn't possible then hanging up a bed sheet will have almost the same effect.

If you plan on taking photos in the mirror in the form of a mirror selfie then make sure the rest of your room behind you is also tidy and your bed is made as you don't want to appear unkempt and unprofessional and you don't want possibly embarrassing items hiding in plain sight in the photo.

Lighting Options

For me, the hardest part of taking my outfit photos is getting the lighting right. In summer it is much easier to take indoor outfit photos as the natural lighting from outside is much brighter for a lot longer in the day. When you are taking your photos in natural light, try and make sure you are facing the light, that your blinds or curtains are open so that there is as much light as possible coming through. You could take your photos in a room in your house that has the biggest window or numerous windows. If possible and you have one, it could be a really good idea to utilise fixed flat glass rooflights. They are essentially windows that are on your ceiling which lets in so much more light than just a side window. Incorporate both, if possible and your photos will look so much better and more professional.

If natural light isn't possible for you, you might want to invest in some lighting equipment. This could be a softbox or a ring light. A lot of other bloggers, influencers and YouTubers use ring lights as they brighten up the space so much more and really up the professionalism of the content. There are so many different lighting options available so be sure to do your research before you invest in one.

Taking Your Photos

Now, how do you actually plan on taking your photos? We don't all have professional photographers in our pockets to go have photoshoots with all the time, so what should you do?

One of your options would be to get someone to take your photos for you. For example, this could be a boyfriend (also known as an Instagram husband), partner or another family member. You will have to coach them on how to get the best shot, teach them what angles are best, as well as how to work your camera. Why not organise a content day with another blogger friend so that you can both help each other get great content?

The other main option is to use a tripod. Not only are they good for when you are alone with no one there to help you, but they also stabilise your image. Because the tripod is stood up and completely still, the image will be better quality for it. In other words, it's even better than getting a person to take your photos for you. Pair the tripod with a Bluetooth remote and you won't even have to move to click the camera button every time you want to take a photo. Win, win.

Another one of the options is something I've actually mentioned above. You could take mirror selfies as they don't use any equipment other than your phone as the camera and is easy enough for you to line up and get the right angles. Mirror selfies are quite a big thing on Instagram, so that option would work really well, if that is something you wish to do.

Ways To Edit

My last and final tips relate to editing. Editing can do wonders to your photos, even if it's something as simple as brightening the photos or even sticking the same filter on every photo to make your feed more uniform. There is so much you can do to a photo to improve it.

I suggest downloading a couple of apps and playing around with them to see what editing options you like. There are so many tutorials online on how to edit your photos the best, so look around and do some research on those. A couple of apps that I use are Lightroom which is an easier version of photoshop and VSCO.

When I edit my photos I tend to up the brightness and the highlights to make the details really pop and I usually pull down the saturation on the yellow colouring as that's what generally makes your photos look a bit blah and dim. Like I suggested above, just have a play around and see what you can come up with.

So, let me know if I've missed any tips out as well as what your favourite tip was in the comments below and while you are here why not check out more of my lifestyle content?

Want to check out my outfit photos? Then go and follow me over on Instagram at sunsetdesires.

30 November 1 comments

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Today we are going to be looking at different types of flooring for homes. There are so many options available and you might not know what is best, so hopefully, this handy little guide will give you some ideas.

Laminate Flooring

First off we are going to start with Laminate flooring. Laminate flooring has multiple layers and is a synthetic product which is fused together by a lamination process, hence the name. It looks like wood but the top layer is actually a photograph and it has a special clear protective screen on top. Because of this, it's much cheaper to buy than actual wood flooring.

Laminate is easy to install and it requires little maintenance. It's waterproof and stain resistant which means it's also really easy to clean. It can be slippery when wet but a special layer can be added at extra cost.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring has gained lots of popularity over the recent years and is a great alternative to solid wood. Engineered wood is made up of several layers of plywood and is topped off with a solid wood veneer. This makes engineered wood cheaper and sturdier than solid wood.

Engineered wood is compatible with underfloor heating which is something that has also been growing in popularity over the last few years, so that is definitely something to think about. It is pretty easy to install yourself as more often than not it comes with clickable pieces.

While it's sturdier than solid wood, in the long run, it's actually less durable because it can usually be refinished only once. It can dent and scratch easily, just like solid wood but the initial cost may just outweigh that.

Sheet Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring comes in various forms but I'm going to be talking about sheet vinyl flooring. This is flooring that comes in big 'sheets'. This means that you unroll it, cut it to size and stick it down. Vinyl flooring is a tough material and is water-resistant, so great to have down in bathrooms and wetrooms.

Vinyl comes in a variety of styles, patterns and colours which means it's a great choice to add some personality to your home. It is generally softer than classic tiles as well as warmer to walk barefoot on. Vinyl is probably one of the most inexpensive types of flooring you can get.

Most vinyl flooring isn't compatible with underfloor heating, so that might be something to think about too. It's also not the most eco-friendly of all the types of flooring as it's made from PVC which isn't a renewable source.

Carpet

Carpets are generally the favourite option for the most lived in areas of the home such as the bedrooms and the living room. Carpet comes in so many different styles, colours and types that it could get a little bit overwhelming knowing what to choose. Generally the higher the fibre density, the more durable it will be.

One of the major advantages to carpets is that they are soft and warm underfoot which is why they are usually in bedrooms and living rooms. They are also slip-resistant and they are pretty easy to install.

The disadvantage to them is that carpets are harder to clean as dirt can stick in the fibres which can usually only be fully cleaned with steam. They can get dirty easily especially if you have pets and they are also vulnerable to staining.

Concrete

Popularity with concrete flooring is increasing as highly polished concrete floors look elegant and fantastic especially with the wide range of colours and finishes available. A concrete floor is extremely strong and durable which means it will last a long time.

Concrete floors require very little maintenance and they resist moisture and stains. They are also very pet friendly.

One disadvantage to concrete floors is that they are hard and can be slippery when wet which isn't a good combination. They are also a colder floor option so you may need to add rugs for more comfort and warmth underfoot.

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are made from a mixture of clay and other natural materials and can be hardwearing if you get the correct type as not all ceramic tiles are suitable for floors. They come in a variety of styles and colours and can be a unique touch to your home.

Ceramic tiles are water-resistant and most are non-slip so would be perfect for bathrooms and kitchens. They are easy to clean and maintain and because of technology you can get virtually any pattern printed on them. You could use this option to mimic the look of natural stone or even wood if you wanted to!

Tiles can feel cold underfoot and ceramic flooring tends to be hard and rigid which means that they can be uncomfortable to walk on. Another disadvantage is that grout in between the tiles can be easily stained.

Marble

Marble flooring tends to be the most luxurious flooring around. It looks glamorous and elegant and is a real talking point of any home. Every section of marble flooring will be different which makes it distinctive and unique.

Marble flooring is extremely durable and will last almost forever if treated correctly.

A downside to marble floors is that they tend to be expensive, are difficult to install and are also hard to change or replace because of their distinct pattern. They are also very slippery when wet, so be careful.

Let me know what types of flooring you have or are considering for your home in the comments below and while you are here why not check out more of my home content?

Interior And Home Trends For 2020

30 November No comments