My First Christmas in Manchester

A couple of months ago I took the big step of finally moving out of my parents house and into rented accommodation. (Bonus points if you recognise the Jack Whitehall reference there). And though I will be spending actual Christmas Day and the various other days surrounding it with my family and loved ones, this will be my first ever festive season living entirely away from home, not just at university. And with this comes changes, new experiences, new purchases and of course new wish lists. So as part of the Debenhams Win Your Wishlist Competition, I thought I'd share a few of the things I will be doing this year and a few things on my wishlist to make my new apartment a home away from home.

As I've moved to a much smaller space I obviously couldn't bring all my belongings with me, a lot of memories, homeware and personal touches had to be left behind, so for me this Christmas, it'll be important to make my room feel a lot more homely and Debenhams have a huge Christmas range covering every possible thing you could need. Having already bought our tree and decorations (here and here), I'll be looking at incorporating more cosy furnishings and decorative accessories like photo frames, bedding, cushions and general bits and pieces. (Copper and marble in true blogger style, of course.) But for Christmas I love to put on some festive bed sheets and you can never go wrong with a bit of fairisle like this brushed set or if you're feeling more adventurous, I love this Ben De Lisi Christmas Dogs set, plus it reminds me of my pooches back home. Paired with a onesie and some classic Yankee Christmas candles, it'll be just like being at home.

If you've been following my blog for a while you'll know I'm a big fan of baking, something I haven't had much of a chance to do since moving. It doesn't help that all of my utensils are still sat back home. But nothing quite shouts Christmas at home like the smell of freshly baked gingerbread or cakes in the air, something my flatmate and I have vowed to make before the year is up. Something like this Tala mixing bowl is perfect for making festive treats or this Tala Gingerbread House Set would be great for doing with friends and family. What I love about this is you can use it year after year as well, rather than having to buy a new kit each time. I highly recommend the At Home with Ashley Thomas line for anyone who's massively into their festive homeware, some seriously adorable pieces in this collection!

Would it really be a wishlist without some makeup products? I've been so good the past few months putting off buying any new goodies in order to save money and get the flat sorted but isn't November/December the season to treat yo'self? Now that Kat Von D is finally stocked at Debenhams the wishlist just seems too be getting longer and longer, especially on top of what seems like 1929578175 things I already want. I'm very eager to try the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks that promise intense colour payoff without budging, the perfect combination. Lolita in particular looks like the perfect dark nude. Having heard wonderful things about her complexion products too, it'd be interesting to try some of these out. Any foundation that offers 24hr coverage is definitely worth a try. After buying the Naked 3 palette and hardly ever using it (I am so so sorry bank balance), The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette looks right up my street, all matte and all colours that I'd wear. And of course, the Makeup Forever Ultra HD foundation has to make the list. I've gone through two bottles of this stuff and it never seems to fail me, the perfect medium yet buildable coverage that makes you look flawless whilst still looking like skin.

For all your possible wishlist needs, head over to Debenhams Christmas Range here!

What's on your Christmas wishlist?