Christmas stocking fillers: Burt's Bees Honey Pot Collection

Hands up, who hasn't finished their Christmas shopping yet? I finished mine on Saturday, which is surprisingly late for me as usually it's complete by November. I haven't done any Christmas gift guides this year purely because I don't want my house to be inundated with PR samples, I don't want to buy things I'm not going to use and I don't want to show things that I've bought for others in case they read it. But for those who are still in search of a gift, this one is absolutely perfect. 

I bought the Burt's Bees Honey Pot Collection last week while having a bit of a splurge in Marks and Spencer's beauty hall. I've had my eye on it for a while because it's been doing the rounds on blogs, and as a lover of honey I knew I had to make it mine. First of all the jar is beautiful. It's a glass honey pot and it's currently housing my most-used make up brushes. It also comes to with brand's beeswax lip balm, honey lip balm and mini hand salve - must-haves for winter.

The idea behind the gift is great, the packaging is beautiful and reusable and it's affordable. It retails for £8 normally, but Marks and Spencer currently have it on offer for £5.60 - not half bad at all.

What's been your favourite stocking filler this year? _________________________________________________________________________________ Twitter|Facebook|BlogLovin|Instagram

Fake Tanning Preparation Products

When it comes to fake tanning, preparation is key. There's no point in applying fake tan if you don't have a good base to start off with. It sounds silly but there really is an art to fake tanning. If you don't prepare your skin correctly, then you will without a doubt end up with patchy, streaky, nasty fake looking tan - and who wants that?!

To start off with, all body hair must be removed. It allows the fake tan to apply more evenly and it means that it won't cling onto the hairs. I use the EOS Vanilla Bliss Shave Cream* - £9.45 as it's my favourite shaving cream. You can use this shaving cream wet or dry which is amazing in itself. Since using this, I haven't cut myself once shaving. Which is amazing considering I'm extremely clumsy. It also smells lovely - not overpowering but nice, sweet and fresh - and it moisturises the skin. Secondly, it's incredibly important to exfoliate your skin to get rid of any dead skin cells which will allow a smooth application. I love the Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub* - £12.99. Once again, this smells lovely. It's a big, fruity mess that does a wonderful job at buffing away any dead skin. I prefer sugar scrubs to normal exfoliators when preparing my skin for fake tan as I find that they do a really good, abrasive job yet without being harsh. And this one doesn't let me down.. I use a moisturising body wash just so that I can get as much moisture into my skin as possible so I'm not left with any dry patches. This step isn't a necessity but I do it anyway just in case. I love the Naked Ooh La La Coco De Mer Body Wash* - £3.79 and the Philosophy Christmas Cookie Body Wash - £14. These two smell incredible and they do a great job at adding moisture into my skin. Finally it's so important to moisturise your skin - especially your elbows, knees, ankles and hands. If you don't, the fake tan will go patchy on your dry areas and that really isn't attractive. I either use the Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Body Lotion* - £4.99 or the Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* - £3.49. I use the Dove Summer Glow as a sort of primer as it adds a little bit of a glow/colour to my skin while moisturising it. The Jergens moisturiser is without a doubt my all time favourite moisturiser. It smells so delicious, sinks into the skin quickly and adds so much moisture without being sticky.

What are your must-have fake tanning preparation products?

xxx
*PR Sample

Get an exclusive 20% off at Boux Avenue discount code here.

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REVIEW: Big Green Smile, Burt's Bees and EOS

I was given the opportunity to try out a few things from a website called Big Green Smile. This website stocks the widest range of natural beauty products in the UK! They also have a lot of offers/deals on so it's definitely worth checking out. You can also change the currency on the website to either £'s, $'s or Euro's. I browsed the website and there were many brands popping up that I'd been interested in trying out products from. Two that stuck out for me were Burt's Bees and EOS.

Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Shea Butter Hand Soap* - £8.49

I've tried a few things from Burt's Bees before and I really love the scent of the products. This hand soap doesn't disappoint. It smells beautiful and the scent lingers on your hands for a while which ends up making me look a bit weird in lectures when I'm sniffing my hands. I also love the feel of this soap. It's not drying at all and I actually find that I can use this alone without having to moisturise my hands which is great. This takes great pride in my kitchen and I use this so many times. I can definitely see myself repurchasing this when it runs out. In fact, I can't see myself living without it!

EOS Lemon Drop SPF 15 Lip Balm* - £4.95

I'm definitely a lip balm addict and I must have way over 50 by now. Since I started reading blogs and watching YouTube videos I've seen EOS lip balms mentioned so often and I've always been jealous of the Americans who can get their hands on them so easily. So as soon as I saw this lip balm on the website, I knew I had to have it. Lemon is my favourite scent but they also do a variety of different flavours here. These lip balms are incredible and they're definitely worth the hype. The shape of them makes them so easy to use and the balm coats both lips at the same time. They're also very nourishing but in a way that doesn't leave your lips looking or feeling not very nice. I'm addicted and I can't stop applying this to my lips.

Have you tried any of these products before? What do you think to the Big Green Smile website?
Make sure you enter my giveaway to be in with a chance of winning a Proactiv spot treatment kit!

xxx

*PR Sample

Favourite.. Hand Creams

I don't think I've ever done a favourite hand cream post even though hand creams are something that I use regularly throughout the day. I do often mention them (especially the Renouve one recently) but I think they deserve a post on their own. I also apologise for the bad image..

Burts Bees Almond Mix Beeswax Hand Cream* - £9.99

This smells incredible, just like bakewell tarts or something along those lines. It's very moisturising and does take a while to sink into the hands when it's used alone but the end results are definitely worth it. However, if you use this after you've washed your hands (when your hands are still a little bit damp) then it immediately sinks into the skin. Obviously not a great choice for travel as it's a big, bulky pot but definitely one to keep by the sink.

Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream - £5.00

I think everyone has tried this. Or at least everyone's heard about it. It's a lovely hand cream that once again smells incredible - like marshmallows. Very sweet. It sinks into the skin quickly and it's not greasy at all. The  results don't just last for an hour or so either, they last a really long time which is great. I really do love this one and I'll always have one in my collection. Soap and Glory also do a miniature version which is great for travel.

Renouve Anti-Ageing Every Day Defense* - £22.00

If you read my blog often enough then you'll know how much I love this. I keep one in my handbag with me at all times and I also keep one on my desk. Although it's pricey it's the most perfect hand cream ever known to mankind. It's lightweight, sinks in quickly, leaves the skin feeling soft and supple and also leaves them looking beautiful and more radiant. Not only does it do all of that but it's also a hand sanitiser so it's great for keeping your hands clean! You can read my full review here.

What are your favourite hand creams? Do you have any recommendations?
Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't done so already!

xxx
*PR Sample

GIVEAWAY: New Years!

Seeing as we're nearly entering 2012, I wanted to do a small giveaway for you all to say thank you for giving me an incredible year! Anyway.. here's what you can win!

Yankee Candle in Strawberry Buttercream

Burts Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream

Britney Spears' Curious Perfume 50ml

(These are all my own items. You will be getting brand new, unopened ones. But I don't have them as they're not sent by me therefore I can't take pictures of them)!

I decided to give away these products because I love them all so much. I'm new to Yankee Candles but they smell absolutely beautiful and they're definitely worth the price. The Burts Bees hand cream is just gorgeous and almond is one of my favourite smells. And do I have to describe why I love Britney's Curious so much?

So, to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is follow this blog via GFC.

Leave a comment on this post saying what your favourite moment of 2011 has been.

Leave me a way of contacting you (preferably email or Twitter).

For an extra entry, tweet about this giveaway and include my Twitter name (@bamboozlebeauty).

For another extra entry, like my Facebook page.

So that means altogether, you can have 3 chances of winning!

Simple ey? So what are you waiting for.. get entering!

Oh and the giveaway ends on the 8th January. Once again, thank you!

xxx

I'm Lovin' It!

Hey guys!

Sorry that I've been absent recently. I've been really busy sorting out university things and also holiday things as next Tuesday, I'm going abroad - really excited! So I thought I'd show you a few products that I'm currently loving.

Skin Wisdom Day Spa Very Enriched Ultra Rich Body Butter [Vanilla & Neroli] - £4.99

This rich body butter is perfect for dry skin sufferers. I've had a bad couple of weeks recently where the skin on my legs and ankles has been pretty dry and this body butter has solved all of my problems. It melts into the skin effortlessly and doesn't take long to completely sink in. It also smells absolutely beautiful - and the scent lingers! The tub is 300ml which is huge for the price!

Denise McAdam Moisture Master Intensive Moisture Masque - £3.50 [Tesco]

If you follow me on Twitter then you'll probably know that when I returned home from camping my hair had suffered badly. It was awfully dry which for me, was a shock considering my hair is usually oily. This hair masque saved my hairs life. You apply it for 2-3 minutes, rinse it off and wella! Perfect hair in an instant. After using this just once, my hair had restored to its natural form and it was full of life and glowing. I now use this 2-3 times a week!

Burt's Bees' Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream - £9.99

I love this product so much! It smells gorgeous - like Bakewell Tarts. This handcream also sinks into the hands pretty quickly which makes it perfect for when I'm driving. I do love the packaging.. very vintage and pretty. However, I wish Burt's Bees' did a smaller version that I could keep in the car. Don't worry though, I did decant some into a smaller tub so I always have it. My favourite handcream.

Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits Eye Roll On - £7.00 [Tesco]

I've always found it hard to find the 'perfect' eyecream. My eyes do get small bags under them and sometimes, they're hard to conceal with concealer alone. This eye roll on however works instantly. It cools the eyes and leaves them looking fresh and awake. I wouldn't be without it.

Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast - [Superdrug]

 You know I love lip balms right? Well this one is now my all time favourite. It's highly moisturising and gets rid of chapped lips straight away. Yet the best thing about this lip balm is the taste. Oh my, it tastes beautiful. Just like raspberries and lemonade - ha! Amazing. I carry it with me everywhere.

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint - £21.00

I reviewed this product here and yes, I'm still loving it. My #1 foundation at the moment!

Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder - £19.99 [Giftset]

This pressed powder really does seem magical. It contains different coloured dots [see picture below] which all merge together to not only mattify the skin but also to conceal.  It brightens the complexion, dulls redness, conceals skin discolouration, camouflages yellow & pallid skin and also covers under and over eye areas. It really is that magically. The compact is pretty big and flimsy but it does contain a huge mirror which is a big bonus!

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

I've gone back to my favourite concealer! This concealer is so cheap yet it has full coverage and a lot of pigmentation. It covers everything. My go-to concealer. I cannot praise it enough. Oh and it lasts all day.

Barbara Daly Lash Boost Mascara [Black] - £6.75 [Tesco]

I tweeted about this mascara whilst I was on holiday. I went in the sea and this mascara did not budge. I find that incredible. I honestly couldn't believe it! This mascara lengthens, thickens and curls my lashes and since I've been using it I have noticed that my lashes have become stronger.

Barbara Daly Eye Liner Polish [Dramatic Black] - [Tesco]

I find it really hard to use gel/cream eyeliners however, this one is perfect. It's really pigmented, glides onto the eye area and doesn't move until it's removed. Once again, I can't praise it enough. It's just perfect.

Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder 

 Barbara Daly Eye Liner Polish [Dramatic Black]

Barbara Daly Lash Boost Mascara [Black]

What products have you been loving recently? I'd love to know!

xxx