Pre-Christmas Pamper routine

This is my last post of the year so before I get into it, I want to thank you all for reading my blog this year - thank you for taking the time to comment and thank you for the support. I love that I have developed some great friendships as a result of this blog. I know that some people say that blogs are dying and that Instagram is the way to go but my blog will always be my first love! 

Today, I am talking you through my pre-Christmas pamper routine. I like to buff myself from head to toe and just prep my skin so that it's looking as clear and glowing as possible!

2018: Favourite discoveries

In the final of my 2018 favourites posts, I am talking about products that I discovered this year that have really stood out to me, so much so that I will repurchase or possibly already have!

2018 Favourites: Makeup

Today's favourites post is all about makeup and I don't have a huge number of products but they are all ones that I have used regularly throughout the year - my fail-safe, go-to products or ones that have really stood out to me throughout the year. 

2018 Favourites: Skincare

I know it's a clichéd thing to say, but where on earth has this year gone?! It honestly feels like it was only 6 months ago that I was posting about my 2017 favourites! Regular readers will know that skincare is my thing and I am lucky that I get to try a lot of products. I will be posting about my favourite discoveries of the year later this week but today I am focusing on products that I have used consistently this year (or for a number of years in some cases). 

Cult Beauty December Brand Of The Month: Morphe. New holiday releases

For the month of December, Morphe is Cult Beauty's Brand Of The Month, which means that there is free international shipping on all Morphe products. I think this is really brilliant because Morphe products are priced so affordably that you would normally need to buy a lot of products to reach the free shipping threshold. It's a brand that I only became acquainted with a few months ago but I have been very impressed and their Continuous Setting Mist has in my daily rotation ever since as I much prefer it to some of my more expensive setting sprays. They recently released their holiday collection, which I want to share with you today!

Edited to add: I have an incredible offer to share with you! If you spend £40+ on Morphe and use the code CBXMORPHEXMAS at checkout, you will receive a gift worth £129, which includes a Cult Beauty Tote Bag, Morphe Bling Fling Brush Set, All Eye Want Brush Set, 9A, 9B and 9C palette. There are only 20 of these sets available so go, go, go!!!!

Review & Swatches: Kevyn Aucoin NudePop Pro Eyeshadow Palette

The Kevyn Aucoin NudePop Pro Eyeshadow Palette was quite an unusual purchase for me because I don't tend to wear cool toned eyeshadows but there was something about this palette that made me want it as soon as I saw it! I hadn't tried any Kevyn Aucoin eyeshadows before this but I knew that the texture of the powder highlighter is beautiful so I assumed that the eyeshadows were a safe bet. I've had a few weeks to play with the palette and want to let you know my thoughts today.

Shine Bright Like A Diamond! The highlighter edit

If I told you that this was even half of my highlighter collection, I would be lying but these are my favourites! Highlighters are my thing - I love how they can instantly make my skin look alive and they banish signs of fatigue and dull skin. I personally don't like anything glittery or to look like a unicorn or mermaid (I am sooooo not into that trend!). I like a smooth formula that can be sheered out or built up and the texture has to be smooth and soft. I have 16 highlighters to share with you today that tick those boxes and they vary hugely in price, which proves that you don't need to spend a fortune on makeup for it to perform well.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils - the comfortable, long-lasting lip option.

Although I am a gloss girl at heart, I definitely gravitate towards matte lip options in Autumn and Winter. Matte lips don't have to mean dry, flat, lined lips - things have come a long way since the days of uncomfortable, drying lip products. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are a great option for those who are scared of full-on matte lips as they have a velvet matte finish, which is more flattering and comfortable. 

A Cult Beauty Christmas Gift Guide

I browse the Cult Beauty 'new in' section on a daily basis and over the past 4-6 weeks, there have been some really incredible festive launches that have set my pulse racing! I featured some of the gift sets in my recent gift guides but today I want to dedicate a whole post to some of my favourite festive picks from Cult Beauty! Most products I bought myself however those marked with * were kindly sent to me.

The hype is real #2: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

If you missed the first post in my 'the hype is real' series, you can find it here. For the second installment, I am talking about Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, which is a product that has been a staple in my routine for around 10 years. It doesn't matter how many other products I try (and I try A LOT!), this will always be repurchased!

Better skin in a pot: Omorovicza Silver Saviour Mask

My favourite skincare brand, Omorovicza, recently added Silver Saviour to their mask line-up, which I mentioned in this post. Now that I have been using it for around six weeks, I'm ready to share my thoughts with you!

Festive Giveaway! Win a makeup bundle!

It's time for another giveaway! Following on from last week's Christmas gift guides (here, here, here, here and here), I've decided to give away two of the fab gifts that I featured, to one of my readers. One of you will win the Too Faced Under the Christmas Tree Gift Set, which contains two eyeshadow palettes, one cheek palette and a deluxe size mascara and an Eyeko Christmas Cracker, which contains a mini mascara and waterproof eye liner. This giveaway is open internationally!

Non beauty Christmas Gift Guide

Welcome to the final day of my gift guides and today it's for those who are not beauty fanatics. I have a good selection of gifts that should hopefully provide some inspiration! As always, I want to mention that I bought most of these products myself and those that were kindly sent to me are marked with a * but I only feature products that I would be happy to spend my own money on. Let's get started!

Christmas Gift Guide: Palettes and Perfumes!

Welcome to Day Four of my Christmas Gift Guides! Today, I'm focusing on palettes and perfumes - two of my weaknesses that I thought deserved a post of their own. To be transparent, the only product that was sent to me is the Urban Decay Born To Run palette - everything else I bought myself. I think that most makeup fans can appreciate a good palette and I have some really great ones to recommend. I also have a range of perfumes to suit pretty much all tastes...

Christmas Gift Guide £50/€50 +

Welcome to the third of my Christmas Gift Guides. As I mentioned in my previous two posts, I know that some people are quite cynical about gift guides as they think they consist of only PR products but all of my posts have a mixture of products that were kindly sent to me and products that I have bought myself (as gifts or for myself!). I usually mention at the bottom of each post if a product was gifted to me but for my gift guide posts, any product that was sent to me will be marked with a * As always, I only feature products that I would be happy to spend my own money on. Today, I'm talking about gifts that are in the £50/€50+ budget range but don't worry, there is nothing too ridiculously expensive - no diamond encrusted shoes or handbags here!

Christmas Gift Guide: £25-50/€25-50

Welcome to the second of my Christmas Gift Guides. As I mentioned yesterday, I know that some people are quite cynical about gift guides as they think they consist of only PR products but all of my posts have a mixture of products that were kindly sent to me and products that I have bought myself (as gifts or for myself!). I usually mention at the bottom of each post if a product was gifted to me but for my gift guide posts, any product that was sent to me will be marked with a * As always, I only feature products that I would be happy to spend my own money on. Today we're looking at gifts priced between £25-50 and I have some really great products to share with you!

Christmas Gift Guide: £25/€25 and under

Instead of my usual 3 treats for 3 budgets post, this month I am doing 3 gift guides for 3 budgets, given that Christmas is only weeks away! I know that some people are quite cynical about gift guides as they think they consist of only PR products but all of my posts have a mixture of products that were kindly sent to me and products that I have bought myself (as gifts or for myself!). I usually mention at the bottom of each post if a product was gifted to me but for my gift guide posts, any product that was sent to me will be marked with a *. As always, I only feature products that I would be happy to spend my own money on. Today I have gifts for under £25/€25 and this was actually the easiest category - there are so many amazing gifts and products that fall into this budget category that prove you don't need to spend a fortune to get a gorgeous gift.

My favourite luxury lipsticks...

Luxury lipsticks are like Pringles - once you pop, you just can't stop! It's only in the last 3 years or so that I've really gotten into lipsticks, prior to that I was primarily a lip gloss lover with the odd MAC lipstick thrown in. I think I used to associate lipsticks with dry lips and the packaging didn't excite me but things have changed a lot since then! I'm now a full time lipstick lover, particularly luxury lipsticks. I love aesthetically pleasing packaging and the lipsticks that I'm going to share with you today couldn't be any more gorgeous but more than that, the product inside the packaging is equally as beautiful!

Review & Swatches: Huda The New Nude Palette

When I heard that Huda Beauty was releasing a nude eyeshadow palette called The New Nude, I wondered what could possibly be so new about it. There have been so many neutral palette releases in the last few years that I wasn't sure that she would be able to create something different enough to make me want to buy it......... I was wrong! Huda said that thinks that pinks are the new nudes, hence the name of the palette. It is certainly a complete departure from her previous palettes (reviews here) that were full of colour! I am a big fan of the Huda eyeshadow formula so as soon as the palette was released, I ordered it! It sold out pretty quickly but is currently back in stock on Feel Unique, Selfridges, Arnotts and Brown Thomas. There is also currently a waitlist on Cult Beauty. I would imagine that it will be at the top of a lot of Christmas wish lists and is bound to sell out so if you want to get your hands on it, act fast!

Lookfantastic X Molton Brown Limited Edition Beauty Box

You know how much I love Molton Brown and if you've been reading my blog or any amount of time, you will also know that I love a good deal so today's post is a combination of the two! The Lookfantastic X Molton Brown Limited Edition Beauty Box is a real bargain and is bound t to sell out quickly so don't hang around too long if you want to get your hands on one!

The best eyeshadows for those who normally avoid glitter

I think that glitter eyeshadow scares a lot of people over the age of 30 because unless you have crease-free firm lids, glitter can be quite unflattering. Also, back in the day, glitters were very irritating on the eyes as there was a lot of fallout but things have come a long way and glitters are no longer chunky and uncomfortable. Glitter is not something I would wear on a daily basis but when the occasion calls for it, I have some eyeshadows that I know I can depend on to flatter. Because the festive season is approaching, I thought it would be a good time to share them with you.

The hype is real #1 Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial

Welcome to a new series on the blog - the hype is real! As you know, there are products that are very hyped in the beauty community - some with good reason and some because they have a big PR budget! I want to share the products that I believe live up to the hype surrounding them but would love to hear your thoughts too because obviously things don't work out the same way for everybody due to having different skin types, age, requirements etc. Today I am starting with Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder Vs Genius Magic Powder. Do you need both?

As regular readers will know, I have dry skin and that means that I avoided powders for years as they just aged my skin and generally made my makeup look cakey. I don't necessarily need a powder to make my base last longer but I do find that my base looks more polished when I finish it with a powder. I had more or less given up on the idea of finding one that would work on my skin and that I could use regularly until my lovely friends Leanne, Dorota and Dagmara gave me Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder for my birthday last year and I loved it instantly - so much, in fact, that I'm am now on my third one! When Charlotte Tilbury Genius Magic Powder was released, I didn't 'need' it but I wanted it so today I want to share my thoughts on both with you.

Giveaway! Win a Pat McGrath lipstick trio

Image Source: Amazon

Pat McGrath Labs is a brand that I eventually got to try last Christmas after lusting over her products for a while and they did not disappoint. Her eyeshadow formula is second to none and her lipsticks are pigmented, comfortable and long-lasting. I adore the packaging of her lipsticks - the little lip feature at the closing is unique. I now have three of her lipsticks (review of one here) and although they are expensive, they are worth it and they feel like a real treat. When I saw her mini lipstick trio, I thought it would make the perfect giveaway prize for one of my readers. The photo above is taken from Amazon because the lipsticks are housed in gold packaging with gold sequins, which I obviously didn't want to open as it's a prize!

L'Occitane 6 Piece Gift of Giving Christmas Special - a bargain available for a short time!

If you haven't started your Christmas shopping yet, this post might just give you the urge! L'Occitane is one of those brands that I think everyone would enjoy because it's all about quality products that can be used to pamper even if you are short on time and are a real treat if you have a lot of time. Right now, on QVC, you can buy a L'Occitane 6 Piece Gift of Giving Bath & Body Collection, worth over £100 for £46.96 - a saving of over £50, plus what's even better is that you can spread the cost over 4 payments of £11.74. Plus what I think makes it even better again is that some of the products are individually boxed so if you wanted to break it down into a number of gifts, you can.

The Huda Beauty products worth the hype & those that deserve more hype!

Huda Beauty is Cult Beauty's November Brand Of The Month, which means that there is free international shipping on all orders - the perfect time to place an order if you are lusting after a Huda product. Huda Kattan is the lady behind the brand who has turned her passion for beauty into an international makeup empire through dedication and hard work. I love reading stories about when she started out with her first product, which was her lashes - she and her sisters packed them for shipping themselves and her sister invested some savings to help Huda get the brand going - I personally love hearing success stories like this. I know that it is a very hyped brand but I feel that some of her products can be overlooked. I have tried most products from the brand so today I want to share with you what I think is worth the hype and the products that deserve more hype!

Seasonal skincare additions for dry skin featuring Antipodes, Ra Oils and more!

Now that the temperatures have really dropped, the central heating has gone on and the fire has been lit, I have had to make some changes to my skincare routine. I have posted about some of the products I am currently using here, here and here but there also some additions I have had to make. Because my skin is like the Sahara, I like to use rich, nourishing products that will protect and hydrate my skin. Of course there are the staples that I use all year round, such as Pixi Glow Tonic, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Omorovicza Omoressence and Sunday Riley Luna Oil but these are the products that I have added into the mix in recent weeks.

My current most reached for makeup

Despite having a ridiculously large makeup collection, I have been sticking to the same products repeatedly recently. I've had a real dip in my health in the last while so I haven't really had the energy or enthusiasm to play with makeup and I'm just sticking to the products that I know I love and I can create a quick and easy glowing look that hides how crap I'm really feeling! It might seem like a lot of products but it honestly takes me under 10 minutes to apply everything.

Tighter skin with cryotherapy at home!

I remember years ago hearing that a blast of ice cold water just before getting out of the shower stimulated blood flow and would give a perkier bust and tighter limbs - I tried it once and swore never again but it is a good way to wake your body up, especially on a cold morning! I also read that a splash of cold water after cleansing closes pores, but as Caroline Hirons says - pores are not doors! That being said, they do appear tighter after a quick splash of cold water so when I first read about cryotherapy, it wasn't an entirely alien concept. When I read that it can help to reduce inflammation, it made sense because ice packs are used to reduce swelling, therefore when I was offered the chance to try CRYOpress, which is a gadget that allows you to perform cryotherapy at home, I jumped at the opportunity. Because of my illness, my inflammation levels are high and I often have redness in my skin that isn't necessarily a reaction to a product. If something aims to help reduce the redness and inflammation then I absolutely want to try it! I also have a discount code if you would like to buy a CRYOpress to try for yourself - enter LYME10 to get 10% off the regular price with free worldwide postage.

Smooth hair and body with Ouai?

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you will know that I am a big fan of Ouai haircare (see Brand Focus post here). I've tried a good number of products from the brand but have recently been obsessed with their Scalp & Body Scrub - that combined with their Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner means that both my hair and my body are silky soft and smooth! I know that it's unusual for a hair brand to expand into body products but the scrub and their Rose Hair & Body Oil are multi-use products, which I love!

Products that I have repurchased after initially receiving in PR

One of the perks of writing a beauty blog, is that you are sometimes sent P.R. samples - this is definitely not a reason to start blogging and it takes time for a brand to notice you so if anybody thinks that you start a blog and receive products within weeks (or even months), they are very mistaken. Also, they aren't 'freebies' because if you consider the amount of time that you put into trialling a product, then taking photographs, writing posts and promoting the posts, if you were being paid by the hour, the total would definitely be more than the price of most products. That being said, I definitely consider the samples to be a definite perk as I discover brands and products that I may not have otherwise and also I get to try products from brands that I already love. I turn down more PR than I accept because I don't want my blog to just become an ad. and because I'm a beauty lover so I still like to shop for products myself! Today I want to share with you seven products that I repurchased after initially receiving as a P.R. sample - for a beauty addict to repurchase a product, it must be good!

Five favourites from Laura Geller - the brand that deserves more hype

Laura Geller is a brand that I feel deserves more hype in the beauty world. I have tried quite a few products from the brand and they have all impressed me. The price point is in the mid range - not quite budget but definitely not high end either, which is where I think some brand get overlooked as they aren't cheap enough to buy without much thought but also not a luxury brand with fancy packaging and a high price tag and cult status.  The other brands that I believe fall into this category that I have already posted about are Stila and theBalm. Today I want to share my five favourites from Laura Geller and let me tell you that it was tricky to choose just five!

Molton Brown Muddled Plum Collection

So many people love Halloween and the month of October but, for me, I'm not a fan and am always glad when it's over as that's when the countdown to Christmas actually starts in my eyes! This year, I've been getting excited even earlier than usual, thanks to some gorgeous Christmas releases. As soon as I received this parcel from Molton Brown with some of the Muddled Plum collection, before I had even opened the box, I could smell the festive season! 

Bee Venom in skincare? Heaven skincare overview

I first heard of Heaven Skincare when Dannii Minogue was on the X Factor panel and there was an article in a magazine about her skincare favourites. I couldn't tell you what other products were included but the one that stuck in my memory for years was Bee Peel as it sounded like a wonder product! When I was contacted by the company to ask if I'd like to try some products, I jumped at the chance, especially when the one that had been on my mind for years was offered! I've been using the products for almost five weeks and want to share my thoughts with you today.

Beauty Expert 12 Days Of Christmas

I was absolutely blown away when I received the Beauty Expert 12 Days of Christmas - all of the products are FULL SIZE!! With brands such as Omorovicza, Elemis, Molton Brown and Aromatherapy Associates, this a luxury calendar. It's for 12 days, rather than the usual 24 but there is no chance of disappointment with the gorgeous products it contains. It has a value of £450 and is priced at £100 - value that can't be beaten!  You could open a parcel every second day starting on December 1st, daily, beginning on December 13th or starting on December 25th for the traditional 12 days of Christmas - whatever your personal preference is! 

Eyes, cheeks and lips in one palette with Dior

There is no doubt that an all in one face palette is really convenient when travelling - it saves on space, especially if you are travelling hand luggage only, and also on weight. The problem with a lot of all in one palettes is that options are very limited and I know that I won't wear the same makeup every night so it defeats the option of the palette if I end up taking more products. The answer to that (admittedly, first world) problem? This Dior Ultra Dior Couture Palette which offers both day and night looks in the form of six eyeshadows, two blushes, powder and four lip options housed in sturdy, yet stylish packaging! This is a travel exclusive palette so if you forget your makeup bag (which happened to my friend when we were travelling to Lanzarote for her wedding!), you can pick this up in World Duty Free and be covered for all options.

Three Treats for Three Budgets

Payday is approaching and if, like me, you haven't bought anything all month, you might feel like having a little splurge! Today, I have three fab products for 3 budgets to share with you!

Lookfantastic Advent Calendar 2018

Can you tell that I'm loving Beauty Advent Calendars this year? They have improved so much in the last few years with so many deluxe sample and full sized products in them that I really think it's worth treating yourself to one. Following on from my previous two posts (here and here), today I want to share the Look Fantastic Advent calender. This calendar contains products worth over £300 for £79, which is fantastic value for money and it's bound to sell out quickly so grab it while you can here!

My current most worn perfumes

Literally not a day passes where I don't wear perfume - I really am a fragrance addict! Even on duvet days, I will still wear perfume because it always makes me feel better and perks me up. I was one of those kids that tried making perfume from rose petals and other flowers in the garden and I loved if my Mam let me have a spray of her perfume! I own over 30 bottles, which I know is ridiculously excessive but I always receive perfume for my birthday and Christmas and because I wear it daily, none go to waste as I finish a number of bottles every year.   Today I want to share the perfumes that I am reaching for most often at the moment. I finished two summer fragrances at the end of August and am not quite at the rich Winter fragrance stage yet so these are perfect for in between seasons - who am I kidding, they're gorgeous no matter what time of year it is! 

Natasha Denona Mini Lila and Mini Star Palettes - as good as the larger palettes?

I have raved about Natasha Denona products several times on the blog and, without doubt, my favourite products within the range are her eyeshadows - I now own 10 of her palettes (more than any other brand within my collection), but I know that her palettes are prohibitively expensive so I was delighted when she began to release mini palettes earlier this year because they are priced at $25. Natasha Denona eyeshadow formula is matched only by Pat McGrath in terms of pigmentation, ease of application, wear time and texture - the term 'buttery soft' was invented for her shadows.

Want a honeymoon glow? Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Review

People talk about a bridal glow and honeymoon glow but I can tell you that I certainly wasn't glowing on my honeymoon! We went to Italy for just over 3 weeks and I had a full relapse in my health a few days in so we had to cancel and leave after around a week when it was obvious that it wasn't just a blip, so to say that I was far from glowing is an understatement! Maybe if I'd had Farmacy Honeymoon Glow in my collection at that time, I would have at least looked well even if I didn't feel it!

Too Faced Gingerbread Palette Review & Swatches

All of the Christmas releases are hitting our shelves and this year I am really trying to resist buying very many makeup sets but I will probably indulge in a few skincare ones. The exception to this is Too Faced Gingerbread Palette because a) I love the formula of Too Faced shadows and b) the shade selection screamed my name (well apart from the pale pink!). As soon as I saw it on Debenhams a few weeks ago, I snapped it up because I knew it would be a sell out! (Currently available from Cult Beauty) I've been using it for a few weeks and want to share my thoughts on it with you today! 

World Duty Free Exclusive: Eve Lom Cleanser Duo Set

You know I love a good deal and there are always bargains to be had in World Duty Free but I particularly love their travel exclusives and I want to share a particularly good one with you today. As always, I want to remind you that even if you aren't flying yourself, you can take advantage of the good deals to be had if you know somebody who is flying because you can use the Reserve & Collect option whereby you add products to your basket and give flight details and then your shopping is ready to be collected on the day that you fly. With discounts of up to 20% compared to the high street, it's hard to resist a bit of Duty Free shopping!

Five favourites from theBalm - the brand that deserves more hype!

Following on from this post where I featured five favourites from Stila, which is a brand that I think deserves more hype, today I'm talking about theBalm. I just don't know why this brand is so underrated because the prices are reasonable and the quality of the products is top notch. We're talking buttery soft eyeshadows, hydrating liquid lipsticks and smudgeproof liquid liner! I love the retro print on the packaging and although it's cardboard around the blush, bronzer and eyeshadows, the products are well protected. It was very difficult to narrow it down to my top five products from the brand because I love so many but these are the products I use most often and think everyone should try.

Liquid lipsticks for dry lips featuring Pixi, Huda and more!

Have I ever mentioned that I have dry skin/hair/body/lips? No, didn't think so! I hope you can sense my sarcasm because I feel that I must mention in in at least 90% of my posts! Because of this, liquid lipsticks are something that I could never really get fully on board with as when they first became popular, they were very drying due to how long-lasting they were. Formulas have improved since then and there some brands that I actually find pretty comfortable, which I'm sharing with you today.

Five face masks that give instant or overnight results

With most skincare products, results can only be seen with consistent use over a number of weeks/months but I find that face masks can give instant results. Undoubtedly, the results are improved over time but I find that there are some face masks that I can depend on for a 'quick fix' if my skin is looking dull/congested/dehydrated and I want to share them with you today!

The best Alpha-H products for sensitive skin! Cult Beauty Brand Of The Month

When Alpha-H Liquid Gold hit our shores, everyone went crazy for it and with good reason - it gives overnight results, but lots of people hear the word 'acid' and their toes curl, especially those with sensitive skin. I have dry, reactive/sensitive skin and I have been using Alpha-H products for a few years without any problems or reactions so I thought I'd share my top picks with you today. Alpha-H is Cult Beauty's Brand Of The Month for October, which means that there is free international shipping on all products until the 31st so if anything catches your eye, now is the time to order!

Charlotte Tilbury Stars In Your Eyes Palette - review & swatches

There have been lots of new releases from Charlotte Tilbury recently and while I love the Magic Concealer and Powder (apart from the smell!), I skipped the Pillow Talk eyehadow quad and planned on skipping the Stars In Your Eyes Palette but then my husband kindly surprised me with it! Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quads are priced at £39 and this large 12 shadow palette is priced at £60, so in terms of Charlotte Tilbury makeup, it's good value but £60 is still a lot of money. The reason I was going to skip this palette because I personally prefer other eyeshadow formulas to Charlotte Tilbury's - Too Faced and Anastasia Beverly Hills, for example. Having said that, I was delighted to receive it as a gift! So is it worth the hype?

My current high end favourites

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of high end beauty products - don't get me wrong, there are some cracking budget beauty products on the market but I have a real soft spot for luxury beauty. These are my current most used and loved high end beauty products.

L'Occitane Classic Advent Calendar Review & Contents

Following on from last week's post on the Feel Unique Little Beauty Parcel Advent Calendar, I'm back with another one! This time, I'm talking about the L'Occitane Classic Advent Calendar, which I am lucky enough to have for the second year in a row! This calendar has a value of £85/€99 but it retails at £49/€59, which is good value and the product sizes are generous - there are no 'one use' products in here!

The Feel Unique Little Beauty Parcel Advent Calendar is here!

It's so true that the years go by much more quickly as you get older - I actually cannot believe that it's October next week and that Christmas has started to come into our thoughts! I'm a huge fan of all things Christmas and love getting organised early so I'm delighted to be bringing my first festive post to you today! Don't worry, I won't be doing gift guides until closer to the big day but Advent Calendars tend to sell out quite quickly so I wanted to give you all of the details of the Feel Unique offering today: The Little Beauty Parcel - 24 Day Beauty Calendar. The contents are worth £250 so it's a steal at £75!

Sleep in a bottle? L'Occitane Overnight Reset Serum

Sleep is something that really makes a noticeable difference to my skin but it's something that most people don't get enough of. If I have a few late nights or restless nights/broken sleep etc, it always shows in my skin so if a product claims to mimic the effect of a good night's sleep, I need it in my life! When I heard about L'Occitane Overnight Reset Serum, I was instantly intrigued.

GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW: Introducing Ecooking - the Danish skincare brand that is new to the UK and Ireland

Ecooking is a brand that you will probably have seen popping up on social media over the past month or so and that's because it's new to our shores! Ecooking is a Danish brand that is relatively new - it was founded in 2015 in the kitchen of Tina Søgaard whose skin had been suffering and not responding to any of her usual skincare favourites - because of this, she decided to make her own products. It is an all natural and mostly vegan brand (the exception is the beeswax used in the lip balms and multi-balm), the packaging looks quite industrial but it's recyclable and the ingredients are listed on the outside of each product.  The brand has grown very quickly in its home country of Denmark and is set to be released in 20 countries worldwide before the end of 2018. There are 40 products available and I was kindly sent a selection to try and I want to share my thoughts with you today and at the end, I have a giveaway where you can win all of the products mentioned!

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid Concealer VS The Retoucher

A couple of months ago when Too Faced released a second concealer, I did a comparison post (here) so when I bought Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer, it occurred to me that I should do a similar post because most people will purchase one, but not both concealers. Because Charlotte Tilbury is Cult Beauty's September's Brand Of The Month, there is free worldwide shipping on all products so I thought it was a good time to do this post!

A sparkling, feminine scent: Emporio Armani Because It's You

I wear perfume on a daily basis - even if it's a pyjama day because it always makes me feel better when I smell nice! One of my favourite fragrance brands is  (and always has been) Armani - who remembers City Glam? Because It's You was released last year and it's still one of my most worn perfumes so I wanted to review it today and let you know that Superdrug currently have £10 off the 50ml bottle at the moment in case you feel like treating yourself or a loved one! 

Charlotte Tilbury skincare review - Cult Beauty's Brand of The Month

I think we've established at this stage that I'm a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury makeup (posts here, here and here for example) but I rarely talk about her skincare products. Because Charlotte Tilbury is Cult Beauty's Brand Of The Month for September, which means there is free international shipping on all orders, I thought it was the perfect time to discuss her skincare range.