Selfridges Advent | Day 6, 7 & 8

So I forgot to open my calendar over the weekend so I have 3 doors worth of goodies to share with you today - days 6, 7 and 8. If you don't know I have the Selfridges Enchanted Spells Advent Calendar and I've really been enjoying opening it.  It's my first ever beauty advent calendar and I'll definitely be having one every year from now on. 

 

 

I received some nice products in my 3 days - a perfume, a face cream and a serum.

 

Day 6 was Lancome La Vie Est Belle L'Absolu in a mini 4ml bottle.  I initially didn't know what this perfume was as I couldn't find any markings on it and I didn't recognise the bottle.  But, after straining my eyes for a while I managed to read the teeny, tiny sticker underneath that said Lancôme and I managed to figure it out from there.  As you may know, I'm hopeless at describing scents so I'll just say: I suggest you head down to your nearest perfume shop and take a whiff - it's possibly the nicest scent I've smelled in a while. 

 

Day 7 was a Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream which I've heard some wonderful things about so I was really excited when I saw this one.  I've never tried a Kiehl's product before but they've always been on my wish lists.

 

 

Finally behind day 8 was a YSL Forever Youth Liberator which is a serum for the face and neck.  I've seen the YSL Forever range around but never thought to try it.  This 7ml sample size has a pipette which delivers the perfect amount and it will be a fun little addition to my skincare routine over the next few weeks.  

 

Have you got a beauty advent calendar? Or do you stick with the good old chocolate ones?

 

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Selfridges Advent | Day 5

It's day 5 of advent calendar opening and so far, I've opened some real beauty treats.  Day 1 was my spicy perfume, Day 2 was a Kiehl's cleanser, Day 3 was a Lancôme cream and Day 4 was another Lancôme treat.

 

Let's see what's inside day 5... 

Todays product is a miniature 15ml Shu Uemura Skin Purifier.  This was a product I'd never heard of so I had to do a little research to find out exactly what it was. I actually thought Shu Uemura only did make-up and had no idea they had a skincare range.

 

I couldn't actually find much information on the product to be honest.  I'm a tiny bit wiser in the fact it contains liquorice root derivative, amino botanical complex, and depsea water which claims to naturally provide moisture to the skin, enhance the skins transparency and improve the skins quality.

 

I'm unsure when I would use this product in my skin care routine.  Is says on the website to apply to a dry face and rinse thoroughly with warm water - is this used as a cleanser, after a cleanser? I dunnno? Do you own this product or know anything about it? Let me know in the comments if you know how I'm supposed to use it.

 

 

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Selfridges Advent | Day 4

It's Day 4 of my advent opening and I've gotta say I'm starting to stress a bit about Christmas.  I'm one of those that starts thinking about Christmas at the beginning of November and starts thinking about what to buy people and casually browsing around the internet but I never actually purchase anything for anyone until well into December.  Ah well, it will all get done in the end.  Let's get back to my advent calendar,

 

So far I've received a few little treasures behind my doors.

 

Day 1 was a wonderful perfume from Yves Saint Laurent

Day 2 was a facial cleanser from Kiehl's

Day 3 was an anti-wrinkle, firming moisturiser from Lancôme.

 

We're staying with Lancôme for day 4...

Initially I was quite disappointed to see another Lancôme product today as I enjoy a bit of variety.  The product I received was Lancôme Galateis Douceur Cleanser.  We received a Kiehl's cleanser on Day 2 so again I was slightly disappointed to receive another one.  This cleanser retails at £35.50 for 400ml and I received a 50ml. 

I've heard some good things about this product in the past so I'm looking forward to trying this out.  I've been using the Garnier Micellar Water to remove my make-up and I've really been loving it but it'll be nice to try something a bit more high end. It claims that all foundation, blush, mascara and lipstick will all dissolve on contact - I'm up for a bit of that.

Selfridges Advent | Day 3

Day 3 of my wonderful Selfridges Enchanted Spells Advent Calendar has certainly not disappointed! I've really been enjoying seeing what beauty goodies lye in wait behind each door and I'm only on day 3.

 

Day 1 saw a beautifully scented Yves Saint Laurent eau de toilette Opium.

Day 2 was a Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser which I'm really looking forward to trying out.

 

Let's see what was behind door number 3...

 

On the door for day 3 it says 'Open the door and reveal the uplifting appearance of youth: skin looks visibly smoother, boosted with moisture,' and when I opened the door I found a little blue tub of cream that I didn't recognise at all.  After further investigation I discovered it was Renergie Multi-Lift, an uplifting, anti-wrinkle moisturiser from Lancôme.

 

The cream is said to help replenish the surface of the skin with the energy it needs to repair and construct during the night.  I've never tried a really expensive moisturiser, as I tend to stick to products such as Simple, so I'm looking forward to trying this. A full size pot of 50ml retails for £64 and I received a respectable sample size of 15ml.

 

What did you get in your advent calendar this morning?

 

 

Selfridges Advent | Day 2

 

It's Day 2 of my Selfridges Advent opening. Behind Day 1 was a spicy, oriental perfume by Yves Saint Laurent which I loved.  I was really looking forward to opening day 2 and I wasn't disappointed... 

 

 

 

Kiehl's is a brand that I love reading about but I just find it too expensive to add to my daily routine (I'm a real bargain, drugstore girl at heart!) and today I received a wonderful Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser behind my enchanted door.  

 

I am hopeless at a skincare routine and I know, I know I really should make the effort to cleanse so I'm gonna give this a little try and see if it makes a difference to my skin. 

 

This cleanser is suitable for all skin types and claims to not over dry or strip skin of it's natural moistures.  My skin can feel quite tight after cleansing so I'm looking forward to seeing if this has a different effect.

 

 

Have you tried the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser?  Do you like it?

 

 

 

 

 

Selfridges Advent | Day 1

 It's December already! When did that sneak up on me? I love when December hits and the house is all decorated with trees and various other decorations and sparkly lights seem to appear on every window and tree in the neighbourhood.  I've really treated myself this year with a special Selfridges Advent Calendar so I figured I'd do a special Blogmas featuring what I received each day behind those magical, little enchanted doors.  

Behind todays door was a miniature Opium by Yves Saint Laurent which is a scent I've never tried before. I'm useless at describing smells but according to Selfridges website it has notes of  mandarin, bergamont, myrrh and jasmine.  I find it quite an oriental, spicy perfume but with a fruity kinda layer to it.  I really enjoy the smell and will definitely be using up all of this handy little miniature.



Sparky certainly enjoyed trying to have a little sniff of the perfume and just generally getting in the way whilst I was trying to photograph!

What did you get in your Advent Calendar this morning?

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Christmas Jumper Picks

Who doesn't love a Christmas jumper? Personally, I think mid November is a good time to start rocking the Christmas jumper to start getting into the Christmas spirit nice and early. 

This year is no different to any other in that there are sooo many to choose from - there are cute ones, funny ones, slogan ones, sparkly ones... the list is endless.

Here are a few of my favourites that I've found. Now the only problem is which ones to actually buy... Which one's your favourite?  

1st Row  Little Miss Christmas Knitted Jumper £39.99 | Truffle Shuffle // Skating Penguin Jumper £26 | Dorothy Perkins // December 25th Sweater £42 | Topshop

2nd Row Jessie Reindeer Jumper £20 | Boohoo // Fluffy Sequin Bow Christmas Jumper £27.99 | New Look // Christmas Snowman Jumper £28 | M&S

3rd Row Holidays Are Coming Christmas Jumper £29.99 | Truffle Shuffle // Red Christmas Tree Jumper £26 | Dorothy Perkins //Reindeer Christmas Jumper £35 | Asos

Boots Christmas | My Picks £10 and Under

I loved compiling my Boots Christmas Under £5 Picks so I'm back today with another round.  This time we're going slightly more expensive and looking at Under £10.  There are some fabulously cute items that you can buy for under £10.  In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by how many things I could have added to this list.  They're perfect for a close friend or a little extra indulgent treat to add to some ones stocking.

 

 

Bleach London Hair Wraps £8

Hair wraps/braids are definitely on their way back.  Bleach London are the company behind the super cool wraps you may have seen people rocking recently. What more could you want to do on Christmas Day?

Vintage Collection Glass Trinket Pot £8

This is a beautiful little glass pot that would look adorable on any dressing table.

Starbucks Hot Chocolate Trio with Stacking Tins £10

Confession time - I've literally never stepped foot inside a Starbucks. But, for Starbucks or hot chocolate lovers this cute little trio of tins would be perfect.  It also has 3 delicious flavours of cocoa including marshmallow and salted caramel.

Fox Hand Warmers £10

These hand warmers are a life saver when the cold weather hits.  What better gift to give a loved one than the gift of warmth on a chilli January day.

Sanctuary Love The Little Things Tin £10

This is a wonderful indulgent gift for anyone who loves a little luxury.  The tin includes body wash, scrub and a lotion.

Yankee Candle - Cinnamon Stick £9.95

Candles always make a wonderful present in my opinion and cinnamon is a wonderfully Christmas smell.

Soap & Glory™ YOUR OWN SWEET LIME™ Gift Set £10

This is one S&G gift set that I'd kinda like for myself.  I love the sugar crush range and the mouth-watering lime fragrance. There's also a hand food in the range in this set - just perfect for any S&G fan.

 

Wonderland Cotton Tail Ceramic Cotton Wool Dispenser £10
We all use cotton wool right girls? This is a super cute way of storing them and an adorable addition to any dressing table. 


Are any of these items on your Christmas list?  Let me know in the comments what your best picks are from Boots this year.

Boots Christmas | My Picks £5 and Under

Now that Bonfire Night is officially done and dusted I allow myself to start thinking about Christmas. That's not to say I haven't thought of it before now but around this time of year is when a little switch goes off inside my brain and I start seriously thinking about (and doing) a ton of Christmas shopping for loved ones.

Boots is always one of my favourites for Christmas shopping.  Who can resist those wonderful 3 for 2 offers?  It can get quite overwhelming though, as there are sooo many amazing products to choose from. So I thought what better on the lead up to Christmas than a few handy little gift guides at different price ranges to help you chose that perfect, special gift for your nearest and dearest (or the Secret Santa you got stuck with at work!)

First up is the For Her For Under £5

Baylis & Harding Beauticology Gift Set £5

This set contains some soft, fluffy candy cane socks and some deliciously fragranced foot treatments.  What's not to love?

Soap & Glory™ MERRY KISS MUCH™ Gift £5

I love a bit of Soap & Glory and this perfect little lip balm comes all wrapped up in a collectable bauble. The balm is formulated with mango and apricot butter and sounds delicious.  A perfect stocking filler.

Hastag Stuff Sticky Notes £4

I definitely need some of these in my life.  (Hint, hint!) I love sticky notes and am forever writing on them so if you know a social media obsessed, sticky note lover these are the perfect little present.

Fearne Perfectly Polished Nail Polish Duo £4

This gorgeous duo from Fearne features a beautiful purple/pink shade and some nail glitter which I think is perfect for the festive season. Who doesn't love a bit of glitter around Christmas?

Home Fragrance No.25 Spiced Cranberry & Nutmeg Candle Tin £5

This candle smells divine.  Does anything say Christmas more than the smell of cranberries and nutmeg? The candle is housed in a beautiful, decorative gold leaf and berry design that I think might look quite nice in my dining room actually...

Jack Wills Ladies Emery Boards £5

If you know a girl who likes doing her nails these stylish emery boards in a handy little pouch are the perfect little gift.

Ferrero Rocher Collection £4.69

If all else fails, a box of chocolates never will. Especially the Ferrero Rocher kind. Oh and those white coconutty ones - delicious.

Keep your eyes peeled for more Boots Christmas picks coming soon...

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No7 Advent Calendar 2014

Oh these Advent Calendars are killing me! I want every single one.  Today let's take a little peek inside Boots No7 Advent Calendar.

I have to say this calendar isn't as visually appealing as some of the others I've seen - the Benefit Candy Coated Countdown is my favourite so far in terms of visual appeal.  But, like Mama always taught me, it's not what's on the outside that counts, it's what's on the inside and oh my there's some treats on the inside.

 

This calendar opens like a book and you get 25 (yeah you heard me right, an extra little treat for Christmas Day) fantastic No7 goodies including make-up, skin care and body care.

 

SPOILER ALERT : Look away now if you don't want to see what's inside.

The goodies you receive inside are:

1. Skin Illuminator – Peach
2. High Shine Lip Crayon – Delicate Pink
3. Eye Colour Brush
4. Youthful Eye serum
5. Stay Perfect Nail Colour – Highland Mist
6. Lash Impact mascara – Black
7. Eye shadow – middle shade from Good Earth Trio
8. Beautiful Skin Radiance Exfoliator
9. Protect & Perfect Intense Day Cream
10. Blissful Body Wash
11. Beautiful Skin Eye Makeup Remover
12. Stay Precise Felt Tip Eyeliner
13. High Shine Lip Crayon – Daydreamer
14. Completely Quenched Body Lotion
15. Amazing Eyes Pencil – Brown
16. Essential Lip Brush
17. Intense Volume Mascara – Black
18. Eye Shadow – top shade from cappuccino trio
19. Nail Effects Disco Ball
20. Protect & Perfect Intense Day Hand Cream
21. Stay Perfect Metallic Eye Pencil – Blackest
22. Gel Look Shine Nail Colour – Deep Wine
23. Amazing Eyes Pencil – Black
24. Protect & Perfect Intense Night Cream
25. Stay Perfect Duo Nail Colour – Hot to Trot & Cheeky Chops

Isn't that just a fantastic range of different products and they're definitely all products that I would use.

This goes on sale on 29th October for £35, which I think is amazing value for money if you consider what you get.

You can sign up here to get an email notification of when it lands in store.  I would imagine you'll have to be pretty to quick to grab this one. 

Are you a No7 fan?

Will you be rushing to get this?

Jo Malone Advent Calendar 2014

This is like the Lamborghini of advent calendars!  The Jo Malone London Christmas Advent Calendar 2014 is a.maz.ing.  I think if I actually had this in my life I would be genuinely disappointed when Christmas day came around and I didn't have one of these beautiful little packages to open anymore.

Being Jo Malone, it is, of course, extremely high up in the luxury stakes.  Each day, you open a drawer and hidden inside is a Jo Malone miniature fragrance, body cream or other little luxury. The box is designed with a charming illustration of the Jo Malone Georgian townhouse in London.

 

SPOILER: Look away now if you don't want to know what's inside.

 

Here's a small sample of what you can expect to find inside the drawers to wet your appetite.

• Grapefruit 9ml Cologne
• Lime Basil & Mandarin 9ml Cologne
• English Pear & Freesia 15ml Body Creme
• Grapefruit 15ml Body Creme
• Peony & Blush Suede 9ml Cologne
• Pomegranate Noir 9ml Cologne
• Pomegranate Noir 15ml Body Creme
• Blackberry & Bay 9ml Cologne

At 250 this is definitely a luxury advent calendar that I reckon I can only wish to get my hands on this little treat but for any of you that do want it, it's available 20th October exclusively at Harrods.

Benefit Advent Calendar 2014 | Candy Coated Countdown

The Benefit Advent Calendar is back in style this year. Last year it was a complete sell out and a hugely in demand item.  So in demand that I think the big, wide, interweb couldn't cope and us demanding beauty babes almost broke the Benefit website trying to get our hands on it.

This years offering is delightfully named 'Candy Coated Countdown' and it's decorated in a cute sweet shop theme.

SPOILER ALERT Look away now if you don't want to know what's inside

Some of what you'll receive are

That Gal Primer
The POREfessional
Benetint
Chachatint
High Beam Complexion Enhancer
Posietint
Stay Flawless Primer
BADgal Lash Mascara
Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in A-Lister & Fauxmance
Watt's Up! Highlighter
Ooh La Lift
Total Moisture Facial Cream
It's Potent Eye Cream
Fakeup Concealer
They're Real
Stay Don't Stray Primer

 

 

I love Benefit so I reckon I'm definitely gonna put it on my list of calendars I want this Christmas.  The calendar costs £60, which is a great deal considering the value of products is £109.53. You can order it here from Benefit from 16th October. 

 

Will you be getting this? 

 

 

Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar 2014 | Enchanted Spells

Yesterday we took a look at The Body Shops Advent Calendar 2014 which sure is a beauty.  Today we're taking a peek inside the Selfridges Advent Calendar 2014, beautifully named Enchanted Spells and is full of some wonderful lotions and potions.

 

 

Last years sold out in a flash and I didn't get my hands on one but this year I was more prepared and have one on order! If you'd like to get your hands on one head over to the Selfridges website quick as, at the time of writing, it's still available.

 

 

The design features a spell book and contains a selection of fragrances, make-up and skin care from some of the heavy weights in beauty including Lancôme, Kiehls and Yves Saint Laurent. 

 

 

 

It costs £85.50 and is available online here..  What are you waiting for?  Quick, go get it before it's gone!

 

 

 

 

Body Shop Advent Calendar 2014 | 24 Days of Joy

All this week I'm going to be taking a look at this years beauty advent calendar offerings.  We all know that beauty advent calendars are so much better than their chocolate counterparts and October is the time when all the calendars start coming out  You have to really quick to get your hands on one of them as most of them tend to be a sell out.

The first calendar I want to look at is The Body Shop Advent Calendar 2014 called 24 Days of Joy.  I really like the design as it's so festive looking and think it would look beautiful on my sideboard sitting there waiting to be opened each morning.

Body Shop Advent Calendar 2014 | 24 Days of Joy

There's a great selection of products behind the windows including a selection from their latest range including

• Wild Argan Oil
• Colour Crush Nail Colour
• Special Edition Glazed Apple

and also some of their best sellers

• Vitamin E Moisture Cream
• Shea Body Butter
• White Musk Fragrance

The really amazing thing about this calendar is that for every calendar bought, The Body Shop will donate to their charity partner, War Child.  Pretty amazing and great to know that our little indulgences will be helping out in a small way. 

The Body Shop Advent Calendar 2014 costs £50 and the products have a value of £83 so it's great value for money.  It launches this Wednesday, on 8th October 2014.

 

 

Is The Body Shop Advent Calendar going to be in your house come Christmas?