I love seeing what everyone got for Christmas and was lucky enough to get a few beauty bits and pieces so thought I would share.
I got a Liz Earle Travel/Try me kit, I have fell in love with Liz Earle products this year, so will definitely be saving this for when I go away. Included was 30ml of Cleanse and Polish which I love and is my holy grail cleanser, 50ml of Instant Boost Skin Tonic which I have also used and reviewed, 15ml of Skin Repair Moisturiser in Dry/Sensitive, a muslin cloth which is always handy, 5g of Superbalm which I have used before but not reviewed and a new product to me, 15ml of Hand Repair which my younger sister raves about so I am looking forward to trying.
Next is the OPI Correct & Clean Up Refillable Corrector pen, which I am in desperate need of. At the moment if I get any polish on my finger or cuticle I scrape it off with another nail!! I can't wait to try this out so hopefully my manicures can look a bit more professional.
Also for my nails I received a little kit by Nails Inc. It comes in a gorgeous silver case which is super handy if you are travelling or even for putting in your handbag. In it is 4ml of Caviar Topcoat which I have used before and love as it makes the polish look super glossy and last longer, there is also a nail buffer, a vitamin e oil pen, a nail file and 4ml of Monmouth Street a bright hot pink colour. I love this kit as is a great way of keeping all your nail essentials together just one niggle well two actually, why isn't there a base coat instead of a colour and why are they so small surely most people have the regular 10ml which they would want to put in the kit when these have ran out.
I also got two Real Technique make up brushes the Blush Brush and Expert Face Brush. I love my Stippling Brush so can't wait to try these out.
I also got a travel set from Rituals, which includes 50ml Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel Sensation, I do have the full size in my stash but haven't got round to trying yet, 70ml of Brilliant Bliss Nourishing Ultra-Shine Shampoo which smells lovely but I am a bit concerned it might irritate my very sensitive scalp, 70ml Honey Touch Rich & Nourishing Body Cream and 40g Himalaya Wisdom Deep Cleansing Himalaya Salt Scrub which I can't wait to try as I love scrubs.
Lastly I got a Travelo so I can decant my favourite fragrance for popping in my handbag or when I go away
Talking of going away I am hoping to plan my next summer holiday soon does anyone have any suggestions I love Turkey but thinking of trying somewhere new.
I requested a sample of the Dr. Jart+ Beauty Balm from their facebook page, unfortunately they no longer have any samples available. I have never tried any BB creams before as to be honest didn't really see the point. I am not a massive fan of tinted moisturiser and thought they were just a hyped up tinted moisturisers. I had read quite a few blog posts on the Dr. Jart+ versions and then heard that they were giving away samples so thought why not request one and give it ago. I was sent three of the Regenerating samples.
I was surprised at how thick the product was and thought that it would feel heavy on my skin. Although the product says its moisturises primes and conceals I did put on some moisturiser first as my skin has been very dry this winter. I was really impressed with the coverage as I have a lot of redness which was pretty much gone with one application. I still required concealer on my chin which has had a few breakouts recently and around my eyes but I was very impressed. If I use tinted moisturiser I usually have to use so much concealer to achieve what this did in one layer.
I was dubious about the claim that it self-adjusts for a flawless coverage however with a bit of buffing it really did match my skin tone. The staying power of this is also very impressive even with a cold I went 8-9 hours without needing a touch up, and on my forehead which I usually need to use a primer on, as it is my problem error, looked better then it has for ages, smooth with no dry skin.
Overall I am very impressed with this product and am debating buying, I also have a sample of the Rimmel BB Cream which I want to try before heading to the shops.
You can pick this up at boots.com for £21 for 50ml
After being seriously impressed with Wocka Wocka I decided to try out another nail polish from the same collection and decided on Designer de Better. I absolutely love this polish I will attempt to describe it as best as I can.
At first I thought that this was actually a bronze/gold colour but after wearing for a few days and browsing the internet, it is actually a silver foil with pink/bronze flakes. Unfortunately my camera and photography skills do not do this polish justice.
I think I might have to try out some more OPI as I have been seriously impressed with these. Again I used just two coats and the best thing about this polish is that it looks glittery but is smooth and therefore should (fingers crossed) be nice and easy to remove.
As always I used Kensington Caviar Base Coat and Albert Bridge Top Coat
Does anyone have any OPI recommendations I should try out?
I always get a stocking usually from my mum but this year I was lucky enough to get two! My boyfriend never got a stocking when he was younger so it has become our Christmas tradition to do one for each other (we don't buy each other anything else at Christmas). My mum also got me one as both my sisters live at home and I think that she was concerned I would feel left out.
Firstly from my boyfriend I got three mini Soap & Glory products. The Scrub of Your Life is a product I haven't tried before but I do love giving my skin a good old scrub so looking forward to trying this out. I also got Clean on Me which I have used before and absolutely love. I think I will save this for our next summer holiday. I have also used Flake Away before which is a shea butter sugar and peach seed body polish.
He also got me a set of five face masques from Montagne Jennesse they are Red Hot Earth Sauna Masque, Dead Sea Mud Pac, Fruit Smoothie Masque, Cucumber Peel-Off Masque and Passion Peel Off. I really love doing a face masks especially on a Sunday evening and cant wait to give these a go.
The next gift was actually also a present I bought and after some heavy hinting my boyfriend got for me. I couldn't think what to get my dad's girlfriend I know she loves Liz Earle and L'Occitane and when I was browsing feelunique.com came across this little set. Dad's girlfriend also travels a lot with her job so thought this would be perfect. It includes Cleansing Water, Moisturising Sorbet, Shower Gel, Shampoo and Body Lotion. I can't wait to try out the cleansing water and the brand in general. This set is currently in the feelunique.com sale.
The last gift I got from my boyfriend is Just Go With It, this has to be one of my favourite Adam Sandler films obviously not as good as The Wedding Singer but still very good.
The first thing in my mum's stocking was a massive tub of sweets, I always get sweets in my stocking I am going to try and not eat this too quickly this year.
My mum also got me a set of four highlighters packaged to look like nail polish (my mum knows me too well)
Just look how cute they are
I also got a mini massager which can be used in the bath or shower, it has an attachment which can also be used for scrubbing. I hold a lot of tension in my shoulder so hoping that this might help.
Every year I always get a novelty Christmas pen and this year I got a punching reindeer.
Lastly I got some shower gel in a little plastic Christmas Tree
I love getting a stocking some of my favourite gifts in the past have been from stockings and this year I think both my mum and boyfriend did very well.
Did anyone else get a stocking?
As well as my blog my poor nails have been rather neglected recently. I think that there was a period of about 3 weeks which they were naked , the poor things! After my exam I had to show them some love and attention and also decided it was time to get into the festive spirit. I went through my polish collection and came across this little gem which was given to me last Christmas. It is Wocka Wocka from the OPI Mini Muppets Collection. Unfortunately this was a limited edition collection and I can't find any UK retailers selling it but I still wanted to share.
To me this is the perfect red for Christmas, it has a gorgeous sheen to it and changes colour slightly in different lights which unfortunately I couldn't pick up on my camera.
I was also really impressed with the coverage as the polish, I felt was thinner then the Nails Inc formulation yet still only required two coats. It also lasted 4-5 days without any chips or wear.
As always I used Kensington Caviar Base Coat and Albert Bridge Top Coat
I know I haven't posted anything for well over a month but have done a bit of shopping in that time.
The best thing about this time of year (other then Christmas day itself) is all the festive celebrations. I went into Norwich to find the perfect party dress and found this beauty from tfnc London in Topshop. This dress is quite short but with the high neck line I think it can still look classy, I also love the colour as I tend to wear a lot of black or dark purple on nights out. I got this from Topshop for £42 but I can only find on tfnclondon.com and it doesn't appear to be in the same colour.
To go with the dress I picked up some navy platform shoes from Barratts I paid £15 but they are now £10. I didn't end up wearing them, as they are a sort of suede material and the night I went out it was pouring with rain. On the plus side I doubt that I would have been able to stay on my feet as long as I did, as they are not overly comfortable but look gorgeous.
At the beginning of December I went to Manchester to see Elbow as an early birthday present, for my boyfriend whilst there I popped into Selfridges and bought Laguna bronzer by Nars. I have been lusting after this for ages and decided to treat myself, I can't wait to try this out.
Another product I have been waiting to try out and recently bought is Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I know many beauty bloggers have raved about this product so wanted to try for myself. I picked up shade 2 Light from Boots for £4.19.
I also picked up Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser from Boots after watching some of missbudgetbeauty videos. My chin has been very spotty recently and have tried numerous spot treatments so was hopeful that this would get rid of them. I will let you know how I get on.
Lastly I picked up Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Cleanser also from Boots. I still love my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish but I get through a bottle a month and at £12.75 it would mean spending over £150 a year on cleanser which I just can't justify. I am therefore testing out cheaper options.
Has anyone got any cleanser recommendations for me?
This was gifted to me along with the Lychee Blossom Body Butter, Body Lotion and shower gel This is 100% natural and contains soya oil and olive oil, it took me a little while to try this as I wasn't keen on the thought of putting oil on my lips.
There is no getting away from the fact that what comes out is an oil, I don't know whether it is the thought of oil coating your lips or the actual texture, but I really don't like the feeling of this on. It does make your lips very shiny the finish is very much like a clear lip gloss but with (for me) a less pleasant feeling.
My other issue with this is the staying power. I put this on (giving it a good old shake first) before I leave the house in the morning at 8am and by the time I start work at 8.30 its all gone. I don't think that this leaves your lips feeling soft or protected from the cold either after the gloss has gone.
I am going to try and use this product up but would not repurchase.
You can buy this at thebodyshop.co.uk for £4 for 10ml
I got this polish in August as part of the Nails Inc Ahead of Trend Collection I instantly liked the shade but prefer brighter nails in the summer. Now that we are definitely in Autumn I thought that this would be a great alternative to darker shades, such as Victoria.
It is a lovely dusky pink which I think would suit most skin tones.
This polish seemed a bit thicker then other Nails Inc shades but still dried quickly.
As always I have used Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Base Coat and Nails Inc Albert Bridge Top Coat
You can't seem to buy this on it's own but the collection I got this in is still available from qvcuk.com
I can't remember whether this was gifted to me or whether I picked this up in the post Christmas sales but I was really looking forward to using this. I love baths especially when it starts getting cold as my skin gets really dry.
The scent reminds me of baby wash which I find a bit strange for a so called 'little luxury.' The scent isn't very strong so not much of an issue but would prefer something a bit more grown up. This does create lots of bubbles which do last - don't you hate it when you start with lots of bubbles and by the end of the bath they have all gone!
This claims to soften your skin but this doesn't come close to Lush's Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon in my opinion. If I didn't use a body scrub I don't think that my skin would have felt any different at all.
Overall I found that this was quite disappointing its not a bad product but I think it is very overpriced. For £9.50 you get 200ml but with Avon you can get a litre of bubble bath which I think is of equal quality for £5.
This has been repackaged - not sure if it has been re formulated and is available from boots.com
What are your favourite bath products?
Earlier in the month me and my boyfriend went to London for afternoon tea at Harrods as a (very) belated birthday treat. We also got jams and clotted creams which came after I put my camera away! If anyone likes afternoon tea I would strongly suggest going as it was delicious.
Whilst at Harrods I obviously had a good old look round and did treat myself to a Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in number 54 Boy. I will do a full post soon but is my favourite lipstick ever.
Whilst I was in London I nipped into SPACE.N.K and got NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow base there were so many other products I wanted but decided to be good as I do need a primer as my eyeshadows always crease without. I am looking forward to trying this out as I have never used any NARS products.
That same weekend I also picked up Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer from Boots I had to get this after seeing Fleur De Force's video on her tips for long hair. I have been trying to grow my hair all year and it just seems to have stopped just below my collar bone. My ends have become very dry recently and this product promises to double hair strength over night and is apparently ideal for dry, fine to normal hair whilst leaving no residue on the pillow. I can't wait to see if this helps my hair get any longer and whether the condition of my ends improve.
I also acquired a Nails Inc polish recently as a family member bought for themselves but didn't like. It is Sloane Square which is a grey/black 3D glitter polish. I am not sure when I will try this out as dreading removing - has anyone tried any of the 3D polishes?
I know I always apologise for these posts being late but this month the reason was not due to laziness (for once) I had seen via makeupsavvy.co.uk that Glamour were giving away four Nails Inc polishes with their December issue. I already had two of the colours in my stash, St James and Elizabeth Street, but as soon as the magazine hit the shops I raided the shelves looking for the other two shades, Motcomb Street and Glamour Glitter. I found Motcomb Street with no problem but couldn't find Glamour Glitter anywhere. I searched all my local supermarkets and newsagents practically daily. In the end my friend got this for me in her local Asda. Has anyone else had any problems getting a certain free gift this month.
Anyway back onto this months freebies, I picked up two copies of Glamour and a Marie Claire. Marie Claire had two Jemma Kidd products available a mascara which I got and a primer. I have quite a few primers kicking around so decided to leave that one.
I will start with the most troublesome product Glamour Glitter I do love glitter polishes but hate removing them. I have Chelsea Embankment which is a gorgeous full coverage gold glitter but Glamour Glitter appears to be more of a topcoat which is more versatile and easier to get off (hopefully)
The second polish I got with Glamour is Motcomb Street which a dark navy I think that this will look amazing with the Glamour Glitter over the top for a night out or on its own for daytime/work. I can't believe I didn't have this colour as I love navy polishes, as they look great with a pair of jeans.
The other two polishes available free with Glamour I already had them so thought I would show you guys.
Elizabeth Street is a pinky cream nude perhaps more of a spring/summer shade or for those that like a more subtle polish.
St James is a classic red I think that over the festive period I might wear with Glitter Glamour.
I would strongly suggest that everyone goes and gets all four polishes as £8 for four is an absolutely bargain.
The free gift I got with Marie Claire was the Jemma Kidd I-Define Volumising Mascara. This is a full size 10ml freebie which I think is very generous. I have yet to try anything from Jemma Kidd the only other product I have is the eye liner I got with Elle in their September issue.
Has anyone tried the Jemma Kidd mascara?
I have been trying to use up all those half empty (or half full) products in my stash recently and found this gem. I think this ended up tossed in my stash when I discovered Coco Mademoiselle from Chanel.
I know I am not great at describing scents but this is a very girlie floral scent. It has notes of 'bergamot and blackcurrant, magnolia, freesia, vanilla and musk' I really love this scent I use this both in the daytime and for a night out, I just tend to spray lots more for a night out. Also another great way to intensify the scent is to layer it with other Soap and Glory products such as Clean on Me and The Righteous Butter.
Having said that even though it is a body spray I think this lasts exceptionally well and is the perfect size for travel or just popping in your handbag.
You can get this from boots.com for the bargain price of £3.50 for 100ml.
This month I have used up quite a few products, really getting into this now
Vera Wang Lovestruck I still really dislike the packaging of this, the netting bow catches on everything and looks really tatty and don't get me started on the plastic flowers! Apart from that this is a lovely fragrance, which is very me and I had lots of compliments whilst wearing this too. I would repurchase this but I do really want some more Chanel Coco Mademoiselle plus have quite a few other fragrances too.
Molton Brown Warming Eucalyptus Bath & Shower Therapy this was gifted to me in a set with 5 other 100ml products. I use this when suffering from a cold as its perfect for using in the morning as a shower gel and then at night as a bubble bath. It really helps clear your chest and makes breathing that bit easier, I wouldn't use at any other time as it does smell quite medical and it is strongly scented. I don't think I would repurchase as Radox do similar products for a lot cheaper. You can buy 300ml from johnlewis.com for £18.00
Avon Strawberries & Cream Bubble Bath I have had this for ages and Avon don't do it anymore but I do love the Avon bubble baths they smell great, are massive and cheap. They don't leave your skin exceptionally moistured but for a £5.00 for 1000ml they are a bargain. There are loads of other bubble baths in the range and I am sure I have another one kicking around somewhere. They do a Strawberry Sorbet Bubble Bath at the moment you can get from your representative or from avonshop.co.uk
Origins Plantscription Anti Aging Serum finally used this up really dissappointed in this product was so excited to try an Origins product and after forking out £45 was really hoping to notice a difference in my skin. Can honestly say my skin looks the same. I definately will not be repurchasing has anyone got any suggestions for an anti ageing serum?
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish don't think that there is much more I can say about this other then I love this product. My boyfriend now uses this too - not mine I may add I made him buy his own.
Sanex Dermo Invisible first thing this says it minimises white marks - it does not. I think I might give up trying to find an invisible deodorant. Other then that not much more to say wasn't sure whether to include but an empty is an empty.
Although October has been a busy stressful month, one thing did happen that made me extremely happy,I found my watch. My dad got it for me for my 18th birthday and I had worn everyday for years, the battery then stopped and I didn't wear for about 4 years. I finally got it replaced at the beginning of the year and I started wearing again, then I lost it. I searched everywhere and got very upset when I couldn't find it. Then when I was transferring some photos to my laptop for my blog I dropped my SD card down the sofa, I stuck my arm down the side and pulled out my watch. So thanks to my blog I found my priceless watch.
Now onto my favourites, the song that I have been loving and singing (badly) non stop is One More Night by Alex Goot & Friends I even prefer their version than Maroon 5's. I listened and fell in love after Tanya Burr mentioned it in one of her videos.
The next thing isn't terribly exciting, but is a handbag essential Soap and Glory Hand Maid is the best hand sanitiser I have ever used! It is the only one that I have come across which smells nice. I think this has given me OCD I am forever putting this on, mainly for the smell. If anyone knows of any other nice smelling hand sanitisers available in the UK please let me know.
My favourite YouTube video is Leona Lewis X Factor Make Up by pixiwoo. I know its a bit early but think it would be a great make up look for the holiday season, which I can't wait for.
The best thing on TV at the moment has to be Downton Abbey, I was dubious about whether this series would be as good, but I think it may even be the best one yet. It is perfect for Sunday evenings and how I wish I was Mary, love her clothes and I do quite like Matthew Crawley.
My favourite make up product is Mac Style blush I now understand the point of blush and will definitely be investing in a few more - does anyone have any recommendations?
I have been wearing my Orange Pussybow Blouse which I got when I went Oxford loads this month think it is the autumnal colour and the fact it looks great with a pair or jeans, which I now live in as my new job has no dress code.
My last favourite is Nescafe Cafe Menu Latte in Caramel, after falling in love with the ice coffee at my hotel in September I was determined to find a coffee drink I love in this country too. I tried coffees in Starbucks and Costa but they were all so strong and bitter so I decided to try some of the instant drinks and discovered these. They are gorgeous not very strong and just sweet enough although I do think a bit of caramel syrup would make it amazing. I can only find at my local sainsburys which is a shame but I will definitely be stocking up.
I got this overglaze as part of a Today's Special Value from QVC last year, but hadn't got round to using it, so thought I would try it over Victoria.
It is a green/blue overglaze top coat, it looks very green in the bottle but very blue on the nails in certain light. Not sure it looks its best over Victoria but would look lovely over Black Taxi or Baker Street
It doesn't seem that this available any more but The Wyndham Overglaze Top Coat looks very similar.
What does everyone think hit or miss?
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