Have a lovely Christmas!

359 posts later and this will be the last post (ish) of 2012. I'm going to sign off for the year and spend some time with my family as I haven't been able to. I have scheduled a "favourites of the year" post and that is scheduled for New Years Eve but other than that post, this is the last one.

I hope that you all have a lovely Christmas and a wonderful New Year. I want to thank you all for standing by me this past year and supporting my blog. I've gotten so much into blogging this year that it's decided my future for me; I want to be an online journalist. For the past few years I've been umm-ing and ahh-ing over whether I want to be a magazine journalist or an online one. But I just love online blogging so much that I don't think I'd be able to live without it. Once again, thank you for your love and support and I look forward to "seeing" you in the new year!

xxx

CHRISTMAS: Sixth 3 Days of the Liz Earle Advent Calender

I'm very, very happy with my latest 3 Liz Earle Christmas Advent Calender* products. First of all, I received the Foot Scrub and the Foot Repair Moisturiser which I've reviewed here. These are the best foot care products that I've ever tried. The scrub is a wonderful consistency that isn't too harsh on the feet but harsh enough to make a difference. The moisturiser sinks into the heels beautifully so you can instantly put your socks and shoes on. It leaves the skin feeling so soft and after about a week or so of continued use, the skin on your feet has been completely transformed! The smell of both the products is also lovely and very minty. The Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion is also another one of my favourite products. I originally reviewed it here and I still stand by that review. It really wakes the eye area up and leaves your eyes looking brighter and clearer, as the name suggests. It's a great every day product and also a lovely pamper product.

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Great British Interactive Pub Quiz 2012

I have a bit of a different gift for you for my final gift guide in my Christmas series. This time, it's a family favourite and the perfect gift for everyone, young or old. The Great British Pub Quiz* has been the top-selling interactive DVD for the past 3 years. The game has over 1000 questions that have been written by some of the nation's most successful TV quiz writers.

I've fallen in love with this game. I love pub quizzes enough as it is but they end up being pretty expensive. So to have the game on a dvd for you to use and play whenever you like is amazing. Me and my friends have played this game a few times and we've really enjoyed it. I'll also be taken it home over Christmas to play with my family. There are 5 categories: the arts, history, science and the natural world, film and TV, geography, sport and pop music and you can either play alone, in two teams, three teams or four teams. It's really easy to use and the questions are suitable for old and young. I'd highly recommend it this Christmas!

You can either buy the 2012 game on its own or you can get the bumper pack which has been released this year. It retails for £25.99 and it gives you the new title with the previous 3 years' titles too! You can buy the bumper pack here. You can also buy the 2012 interactive dvd here for just £12.50.

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Beauty Blogger's Top 5 Picks by Perfectly Polished

I've already done a blog post on John Bell & Croyden this Christmas but I wanted to do a separate post for their wonderful Beauty Blogger's Top 5 Picks by Perfectly Polished (£81) set. This set is a handpicked, bespoke selection of John Bell & Croyden's in-house beauty blogger's pick of the ultimate beauty products.

So many beautiful products have been included in this gift set including the Caudalie Beauty Elixir which I've tried before and fell in love with. It aims to smooth, tighten and create a radiant complexion. It also smells beautiful and really just perks the skin up. It's like a drug! You also get an Eylure Lash Food which is a revolutionary liquid that has been formulated by cosmetic scientists for thicker, stronger lashes in just one week! This is perfect on the run up to Christmas and New Year as imagine all of the parties you'll get to go to false lash free. This is a product that is exclusive to John Bell & Croydon. Another exclusive is GiellyGreen's Volumising Shampoo and this naturally adds strength, thickness and shine to your hair whilst removing treatment residues and cleaning your scalp. As well as these you get the OPI Golden Eye Nail Polish from the Bond Collection and this polish is a sparkling gold glitter shade that was released to celebrate the release of the new James Bond film, Skyfall. And finally, you also get some Bodytox Foot Patches which help to draw out toxins from the body whilst you sleep. These are definitely perfect with the amount of late nights that you get over the Christmas period! 

It is an expensive gift set but it's definitely one for all of the beauty junkies out there!

xxx

CHRISTMAS: Champneys

Champneys. A brand which I love. I can remember when it was first introduced to Boots (last year I do believe) and I immediately fell in love with the warm, rich scents and the very reasonable prices. My mum also surprisingly fell in love with the brand. Never had she before spent a lot of money on shower gels or body lotions. She just used to pick up whatever was on offer but when I bought her a Champneys gift set last Christmas in the fragrance Thai Royale and she loved it so much that she repurchased the shower gel and body butter. Unfortunately, this range has now been discontinued which is sad for her but good for me as it's been replaced by a beautiful pink collection that has become my favourite! Their Christmas sets never, ever disappoint and I've picked out my favourites for you here:

This beautiful pink collection is the Distant Shores Collection*. This gift set retails for just £12 which is very good value for money considering that you get inside. The hat box that it comes in is super, super pretty and it holds my foundations inside of it. I also have a gold hat box from last year's Christmas collection which holds my nail polishes. So you even get uses out of the box - good, ey? I'm no good at describing scents, as you know, so I've taken to Champneys to tell you the smell of this collection:

"For this collection we've travelled the Earth to bring you wonderful therapies inspired by ancient rituals. Indulge yourself with this collection of tropical, uplifting blend of grapefruit, lemon and orange fragranced body care treatments."

Inside the gift set you get a 50ml Body Bliss scrub, a 45ml Shower Mousse, a 50ml Bubble Heaven, a 50ml Body Butter and a Champney's body polisher. As well as all of this, you get two vouchers; one for 25% off of a Champney's Pamper Day and another for 500 Boots points (equivalent to £5) when you spend £10 on Champneys. The Shower Mousse is wonderful. It foams up instantly and really cleanses the skin but it doesn't dry it out. The Body Bliss scrub is so good! It's really gentle on the skin but it buffs away dead skin cells and leaves it glowing and smooth. The Body Butter only adds to the level of moisture that you skin gets and it's a thick body butter that sinks in immediately and is perfect for fake tanning prep. And finally, the Bubble Heaven is something that I haven't used yet because I don't have a bath at university - boo! 

My other picks are the following: Oriental Opulence Mini Box - £12, Complete Relaxation Kit - £25, Bubble Heaven Collection - £16, Oriental Opulence Candle and Oil Diffuser - £20, Spa Pedicure Kit - £20.

You can view the entire Champney's Christmas collection here and all of the gifts are on 3 for 2 at Boots!

Champneys is such a wonderful, indulgent brand and there's guaranteed to be a scent for everyone!

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Fourth 3 Days of the Liz Earle Advent Calender

The past three days have been so exciting for me with my Liz Earle Advent Christmas Calender* as they have contained three of my favourite Liz Earle products!

First of all I opened a 5g pot of the Superbalm which I first reviewed here. This is essentially Vaseline but a lot better and stronger. It can be used anywhere. On the lips, eyelashes, elbows, knees. Anywhere that needs extra moisture. And it's so handy that I now have a smaller pot of it! I also received the Botanical Shine Shampoo and the Botanical Shine Conditioner for normal hair which I first reviewed here. I'm so glad they included the conditioner for normal hair too as it means it's going to suit everyone in one way or another.  I absolutely love the Liz Earle hair care range and it's definitely without a doubt one of my favourites. It's up there with my beloved John Frieda. These will be perfect for my girly night that I'm having away with a few of my friends in London in February!

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Caudalie

When I hear the name, Caudalie I immediately think "luxury." It's a beautiful brand that I'm always researching into, especially when it comes to their skin care. Everything just looks and sounds so wonderful and after trying out their Beauty Elixir, I'm hooked. 

When it comes to their Christmas gift sets, they don't disappoint. They have a range of giftsets including shower gels, fragrances, hand sets and skin care. But today, I will be writing about their beautiful Divine Oil Gift Set* which is one that I believe is suitable for all of your loved ones who love to pamper themselves. 

First of all, the box that this set comes in is very sturdy and it definitely doesn't feel like some of the useless cardboard boxes that a lot of Christmas sets come in. In this gift set you get 50ml of the Caudalie Divine Oil which I've briefly reviewed here. This offers everything you need to make your skin positively exquisite. It's a multi-use miracle oil and it's ideal for hair, nails, baths and massages. It's definitely something that everyone needs in their collection. You also get a mini Crush Cabernet Scrub which has coarse granules and it leaves your skin delightfully smooth and nourished. It's also a boost for your slimming regimen as it contains 6 organic anti-cellulite and draining essential oils! And last but definitely not least, my favourite, the Divine Oil Candle. The fragrance of this is very suitable but it will make you swoon! It's the scent of Moroccan and Bulgarian rose with a burst of grapefruit and sparkling spicy pink pepper and cedar, vanilla and white musk. Phew! It basically smells so beautiful and I wish it was the full sized version as I can't seem to find it anywhere. So I'm slowly burning it down and hoping to make it last as long as possible!

This gift set is available here for £28 and SpaceNK. This gift set is definitely the definition of perfect and it's great for pampering with. You can view the entire Christmas range here.

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Brummels of London

Can you believe that I've never bought anything from Brummels of London? Outrageous isn't it?! But after browsing their website for Christmas gifts I can safely say that a lot of my January student loan will be being spent on this website. Their array of Christmas gifts are stunning and highly luxurious! Here are my picks:

Ortigia Sicilia Assorted Glycerine Soap Box - £40 comes with 9 assorted soaps which are all 100% vegetable glycerine. The soaps come presented in a beautiful gift box and the scents include ambra, lavender, lime, melograno, neroli, 2 x sandalo and 2 x zagara. 

Czech & Speake Bath Oil Collection - £65 comes with three 50ml luxurious bath oils including neroli, citrus paradisi and frankincense and myrrh. The oils are created using a blend of essential oils which are mixed with delicate cleansing and moisturising agents. The oils come with a unique shaker design which ensures that there is no wastage with the products.

Bodhi Ylang-Ylang Incensa Gift Pouch - £12 comes with a 50ml bath and shower therapy and a 40ml body moisturiser that aims to nourish and hydrate the skin without drying it out. All Bodhi products are suitable for all skin types however there is a high ratio of essential oils so this gift set may not be suitable for use during pregnancy or on young children. 

Penhaligon's Ladies Fragrance Collection - £30 comes presented in a beautiful Penhaligon's box that contains four 5ml Penhaligon fragrances which are all floral and fruity scents. The scents that are included are Penhaligon's classic and best selling fragrances and include Elizabethan Rose, Lily of the Valley, Malabah & Artemisia. 

You can see the full range of women's gift ideas here, men's gift ideas here and home gift ideas here.
xxx

CHRISTMAS: Sirius Sonic Skin Care System

Today, this is a Christmas gift with a difference. It'd make a lovely gift for those who love their skin care and look after their skin. It's the Sirius Sonic Skincare System*. 

This system is a fantastic cheaper alternative to the Clarisonic (which I've tried about before and reviewed here and here and have since got rid of as I really didn't like it). It uses the power of sonic technology to buff and polish the skin to give you instantly luxurious looking and feeling skin that you'll notice from the first time that you use it. It's waterproof and portable and it can be used by everybody and on every skin type (even skin that has been affected by acne) - this is the part that drew me in as the Clarisonic broke me out very badly. So badly that my skin was in pain. It vibrates at a frequency more than 300 motions per second which allows for 50% more absorption and it gives a much more effective and deeper cleansing, toning, exfoliation and hydration. Now that that part is out of the way, what do I think about this?

First of all, I love the look of this system. It comes with a stand that sits beautifully by my sink and I love how smooth everything looks. I also love that it comes with a number of different brush heads. It comes with two cleansing brushes (one for normal skin and one for sensitive skin) which give a deep and gentle cleansing. These brushes are extremely soft and don't upset the skin in any way. It also comes with an exfoliation head which gently buffs away dead skin cells and clears the pores. This exfoliates in a way that is much better than hands and it's definitely my favourite brush head of them all. You also get an hydration applicator which apparently gives you 50% greater nutrient absorption whilst plumping and tightening the facial muscles. This is another brush head that is a great idea and my skin feels a lot smoother and more moisturised when I've used it. And finally, there's a toning brush head that is used alone without any product.

The one thing that I don't like about this product is that it doesn't need charging as you use batteries. I do like having to charge things as for me, batteries are quite expensive but I will be investing in some rechargeable ones for this machine as I can't live without it. However, not having to charge it is definitely a good thing when it comes to travelling as you don't have to carry a great bulky charger with you. 

Overall, I'm in love with this skin care system. It hasn't broke me out once, it's suitable for daily use and my skin has looked and felt a lot better since using it. I'm not the greatest when it comes to technology but you can read more about what this product does and how it works here. But I must just say that is does work. My skin is a lot more clean which means less breakouts and my scars seem to be fading a lot better. Also, my foundation now goes on a lot nicer which is great! 

This device retails for £65.00 and it's exclusive to Boots here.

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Third 3 Days of the Liz Earle Advent Calender

Sorry that this is a day late but it's better late than never! Also, the picture isn't very good. Sorry about that. I took around 50 pictures and none of them turned out that great due to the packaging of the Superskin Concentrate and unfortunately, this was the best out of a bad bunch. You can see the first three samples here and the second three here. You can also see my Liz Earle Christmas Advent Calender* post here.

But first of all I opened the Superskin Concentrate which although I have and I use regularly, I don't have a review of properly. It's been featured on many skin care posts though. This is a really teeny sample size but as it's a serum, it'll last you as long as the other sample sizes. This is a great product to use during the winter time as it soothes and nourishes the skin. It's really lovely to use and smells beautiful. Next up was a sample of the Botanical Essence™ No.1 which is Liz Earle's first fragrance. I've posted a full review of this product here. It's a nice fragrance but since I've used their newer fragrance, this one has definitely taken a back-seat as their newer one is so much more beautiful and more "my style." And finally, yesterday I opened up the Orange Flower Hand Wash which I never knew existed - I know, I know. I'm a bad fan! I'm super excited to try this out though as my Burt's Bees hand wash is on its last legs so I'll be keeping this one in my bathroom. And if I like it, I'll be buying it in the new year!

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Tesco

I have a lot more Christmas gift guides coming up so for every day this week, you'll be getting a Christmas gift guide, I hope you enjoy them :) You can find all of my Christmas gift guides here. Tesco is a great place to pick up Christmas gifts in my opinion. You can throw a few in your trolley as you're doing your food shop and they have some great quality gems in their collection.

 I have two gift sets from Tesco's extensive Christmas gift shop to show you today and one of these in particular is truly wonderful. But you see the rest of Tesco's gift sets here.

Along Came Betty Shower Must-Haves* is just £4.69 and it comes with everything you need to relax and unwind in the bath including shimmering bath crystals, cream bath, a shimmering body lotion, a body polish and a hair band with a bow to keep your hair off of your face. The packaging is beautiful and reminds me of Soap & Glory as it's very vintage looking and chic. The products themselves also carry a smell that is very similar to the Soap & Glory classic scent which is very beautiful and girly. The only problem that I have with this set is that it comes with bath crystals and a cream bath... I don't believe that you need them both and a shower gel instead of one of the two would have been a better idea but that's just my personal preference! I think this gift set is great for young girls who are just starting to pamper themselves.

The Boho Spa Shower Set* retails for £6.70 and my god, I adore this gift set. This comes with 3 luxurious shower gels in different scents; Spicy Vanilla & Tiare Petal, Oriental Jasmine & Pink Raspberry and Sea Fennel & Pearl. The bottles are beautiful; tall, black and gold coloured caps which easily dispense the shower gel out of the bottle and the floral designs are truly gorgeous. The shower gels themselves are exceptionally good quality. They're hydrating and lather up well but the best thing is the smells are so gorgeous. I literally love every single scent and each one of them is completely different. I've used one of these every day since receiving the set and I've already got my eye on the other gifts in the range. I really, really wish that they sold these shower gels separately as I don't think I can shower without them! I'll just have to stock up on enough gift sets to last me the whole year! I'd recommend this gift set for every female in your life. It's seriously stunning.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think about Tesco for Christmas gifts?

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Second 3 Days of the Liz Earle Advent Calender

Can you believe it's the 6th of December already? This year has flew by and now, December is flying by! I don't know whether I'm happy about it (Christmas is very exciting for me) or sad as it seems like my life is non-existent at the moment with how quickly things are going. But anyway, I have the next 3 items from the Liz Earle Advent Calender* for you. You can see the first 3 here.

Opening this advent calender is still extremely exciting and it's one of the things that manages to wake me up in the morning. I received the Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash which I've reviewed before here. I'm still as much in love with this product now as I was when I first tried it out. It smells so beautiful and delicate and it lathers up like a dream considering it's very natural. I then got the Nourishing Botanical Body Cream which I've never tried out before and I still haven't used it yet but once I have, I'll update you on what it's like. And finally, today I received something which I was extremely, extremely excited about as it's one of my favourite Liz Earle products... Their Gentle Face Exfoliator which I've reviewed before here. As the name suggests, this is very gentle and it's really creamy and luxurious to use. It buffs away dead skin cells and reveals bright, smooth skin. It's definitely a lovely treat!

I will be back in another three days with the next products out of the advent calender!

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: John Bell & Croyden

Today, I have a great little stocking filler for you. And you're guaranteed to find one that suits each and every one of your loved ones! 

 This is soap, in a tin. How incredibly cute?! The one I've been using is the Oatmeal Soap* which exfoliates the skin as well as cleansing it and it smells so yummy that I almost want to eat it! There are so many different scents to choose from which you can see here. The tin is very cute and vintage and after my soap has been used up, I can see myself storing hair clips and pins in it as it's just so adorable. The soap itself is very good quality and like I said early, smells amazing. This soap retails for just £4.95.

Another gift that I absolutely love from the John Bell & Croyden website are the Rabbit Hand Hotties which retail for just £10. These are so cute and they're made with lambswool to keep your hands warm over and over again. You can visit the John Bell & Croyden website here. 

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Dove

Dove is such a classic brand and when I saw the press release for their Christmas sets, I couldn't resist showing you some of their best offerings this Christmas. I also bought a Dove gift set for my grandma as it's a brand that she swears by and that she has used for years!

In the black clutch bag is the Dove Beauty Finish Set* - £9.99. In the box at the back is the Dove Indulgent Silk Duo - £6.50 and in the bag at the front is the Dove Mini Pampering Set* - £5.99.

In the Beauty Finish Set* you get a Beauty Finish Anti-Perspirant which is without a doubt, amazing. I love Dove deodorants and they're definitely the best ones on the market for me. They don't leave white marks and they do the job of protection all day long. You also get a Dove Summer Glow+ Soft Shimmer Nourishing Lotion in Medium to Dark which yet again, is a wonderful product. Dove Summer Glow's are my favourite gradual tanners as they don't streak and the colour develops nice and quickly. You also get a Dove clutch mirror and a clutch bag which I've been using on nights out! In the Indulgent Silk Duo set you get a Silk Glow Nourishing Body Wash and a Cream Oil Nourishing Body Wash which both smell incredible! I bought this gift set for my grandma so I haven't actually tried it out but I've used Dove's body washes before and they are really indulgent to use. They leave the skin feeling beautifully soft and supple. And last but definitely not least, in the Mini Pampering Set* you get mini Beauty Finish deodorant, a mini Purely Pampering Nourishing Body Wash, a mini Indulgent Nourishment Body Lotion, a nice wash wag and a sponge. This gift set is perfect for those who are on the go as it contains everything that you'd need to pampering yourself and also nourish yourself.

Left to right, top to bottom: Dove Fresh Indulgence Pampering Set - £6.50, Dove Luxurious Silk - £13.99, Dove Supreme Pro-Age Collection - £14.99, Dove Travel Minis Gift Set - £5.00.

With Dove, I love the variety of gift sets that are available and the number of different places that you can find them. I also love the packaging as most of them come with wash bags which is very useful for keeping all of your products in! Dove products are also very high quality and there are so many different ranges that you're guaranteed to find one that suits your loved one. And finally, the gift sets aren't expensive!

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: First 3 Days of the Liz Earle Advent Calender

First of all, before I go into this post, I must apologise for how much of a bad blogger I've been this past weekend. It's been completely hectic and this is finally, the first time that I've just been able to sit down and type. So for first post I have for you today is my promised Liz Earle Advent Calender* one...

Let me tell you now before I get into this post... there's nothing more exciting than opening this advent calender every single morning. You get a brand new treat for your skin every single day and it's just incredible. For the first 3 days (and I'll be writing one of these posts every 3 days I decided as it's just easier with all the deadlines I have at the moment) I received the Cleanse and Polish with a Muslin Cloth which unfortunately isn't picture as I've already used it and now it's all a little bit messy, the Instant Skin Boost Tonic and the Skin Repair Moisturiser in Normal/Combination. So already in the calender, I've completed my basic skin care routine which I think is a lovely idea. 

As I've said before, I have tried out pretty much the entire Liz Earle range and you find my full, old and embarrassing reviews of these products here. But even two years after I first tried these, I continue to use them. They're such lovely products that are very good for my skin and my skin just loves them. The Cleanse and Polish has become such a staple in my skin care routine and if I was ever to recommend a cleanser to someone, it'd be this one. It's so luxurious to use and it does a fantastic job at removing make up. The Skin Tonic is the most beautiful smelling product in the world. It brightens up my skin and really calms down any blemishes that I may have. And the moisturiser is amazing. It doesn't leave my skin greasy and it also controls any shine throughout the day. None of these product break me out either.

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: Real Techniques

Real Techniques is without a doubt my favourite make up brush brand. I've followed the Pixiwoo girls on YouTube for as long as I can remember. And as soon as I heard that they were releasing their own make up brushes, I knew that I had to have them. I immediately ran out and picked up the Stippling Brush and for a long time now, I've had my eye on their Core Collection*.

 This set retails for just £21.99 which isn't a lot at all as you're getting 4 brushes. This works out at around £5.50 per brush. The stand that the brushes comes with is so beautiful and it now houses my Stippling Brush, my Liz Earle Brow and Lash brush and my tweezers too. I also stayed at a friends house the other day and I was able to fasten the stand up and create a little bag which makes travelling with the brushes so easy. In this collection you get the Buffing Brush. This brush really is the gem of the Real Techniques brushes. It applies liquid foundation so perfectly and it makes application fool proof. You also get the Detailer Brush which I use for applying lipstick as it's really tiny and it allows you to get a perfect finish. The Pointed Foundation Brush is what I use to buff my concealer in with as I think it's a little bit small for foundation but the perfect size for concealer. And finally, you get a Contour Brush which for me, is a lifesaver. I'm someone who has always found applying contour to my cheeks hard but this brush makes it so unbelievably easy. All the brushes come with ultra-plush taklon bristles which leave you with high-definition results.

L-R Powder Brush, Setting Brush, Shading Brush, Stippling Brush. 

Currently in Boots, all make up and make up accessories are on offer for buy one get the 2nd half price! I'd highly, highly recommend these brushes for people who are starting out in make up or even those who are professionals. They give you great results at a great price. And one of the best things about these brushes? The fact that you can watch the Pixiwoo girls bring them to life in front of your eyes on YouTube!
xxx
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CHRISTMAS: Dirty Works

I don't know about you but I'm feel super Christmassy today! Dirty Works is a brand that has featured on my blog on numerous occasions. The reason I love this brand so much is because the packaging is super cute, the products are great quality and they smell amazing and finally, it's so cheap!

The first giftset that I have to show you is The Best of Dirty Works* which was originally on sale for £8.00 however, you can now get it for just £5.33! The hatbox that the set comes in is very sturdy and as it looks very cute, it can be used for storage after you've finished with the products. Inside, you get a body wash, a body scrub, a body lotion and a sponge. All for just £5.33. It looks so much more expensive than it actually is and the products are all great quality. The smell reminds me of the classic Soap & Glory smell and the packaging reminds me of that as well. In fact, when my sister saw this giftset she said "oh you love Soap & Glory don't you?!" I think this is a great giftset for pretty much any female out there.

My other picks out of the Dirty Works giftsets would be the Get Gorgeous Pamper Bag which was originally on sale for £12.00 but now, you can get it for just £7.99! This comes with a beautiful carry bag, a body scrub, a body butter and a sponge. The Scentsational Fragranced Spritzers which were originally on sale for £6.00 but now you can get them for just £3.99! This set comes with 3x 10ml fragrance sprays that are perfect for keeping in your bag. And finally, the Heavenly Hands Manicure Bag which was originally £5.00 but now it's just £3.33. This set comes with a multi-sided Buffer and Cuticle Pusher plus a hand cream. All great for keeping your nails in tip-top condition!

You can find more of the Dirty Works giftsets and the rest of the range here.

Don't forget to enter my giveaways!

xxx

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CHRISTMAS: No7

No7 is one of my favourite brands and ever since I started working at Boots, it's a brand that I've started appreciating a lot more. A lot of effort goes into the brand and the recent overhaul in packaging means that it's a brand that now looks and feel more expensive than ever. But still with the same price tag.

First up is their Weekend Bag*. This bag retails for £45 which is an absolute bargain for the products that you get inside the bag. First of all, the bag is lovely. I think it's great quality and although it does look a little bit plastic looking, you can fit a lot inside of it and it looks very stylish and classy - which fits in with the brand perfectly. Inside the bag you receive a No7 Cleansing Body Polish, No7 Blissful Body Wash, No7 Sumptuous Bath Soak, a body polisher and my favourite, the No7 Cocooning Body Balm. All of these products are full size and they have the classic No7 scent. If you haven't smelled any No7 products before then I'll let you know that they smell very clean but luxurious. All of the products are great quality and they do a lovely job of pampering your skin. As I said earlier, my favourite is the Cocooning Body Balm as it works like a balm but feels light like a moisturiser. It's literally perfection!

No7 also have a great, new Christmas make up collection out and I managed to get my hands on a few of the pieces.

The Deco Darling Eye Palette* is truly one of the most beautiful palettes I've ever seen. It has completely replaced my Urban Decay Naked palettes these past few days. The shadows themselves are very well pigmented and easy to blend. They also last a long time on the lids but I'd recommend using a primer if you have really oily eyelids. The packaging is without a doubt stunning and the palette comes with a big mirror on the inside so it's perfect for travelling.

L-R Deco Darling Powder Highlight and 4 shadows from the Eye Palette
As you can see, the colours are gorgeous. I find that I can create two looks with this palette. The two brown/gold colours are perfect for the day time and I use the more gold colour all over my lid and the more brown colour in the crease. This creates the most beautiful nude smokey eye that is also lovely and shimmery so it really wakes the eye area up. I can also create a nice, deep grey toned smokey eye for nighttime using the grey and matte black shadows. This palette is so versatile and if you pick one thing up from this collection, I'd recommend this as I can't rave about it enough. It's truly flawless.

The Deco Darling Loose Powder Highlighter* once again has packaging that is very beautiful and also very practical. The loose powder doesn't leak everywhere as it has a safety sheet over the top so the powder stays contained. I usually find loose powders messy but I find this very easy to work with. The highlighter is golden toned which really wakes and brightens the skin during the cold, winter months. Just looking at this highlighter makes me happy and it gives the skin a warm and beautiful glow. The glitter isn't chunky but instead nice and shimmery but it doesn't settle into pores.

The nail polishes are also gems! I love the formula of No7 nail polishes already. I find them very easy to work with and in one stroke, the polish is completely opaque. I don't find that they chip easily either and I can normally get 3 days completely chip free. Daisy Darling* is the pink glitter chunks that is over the nude nail polish and in the bottle, it looks stunning. It converts that way on the nails but as it's glittery, it does take a few coats to build the glitter up. The polish isn't chunky at all and it doesn't feel nasty on the nails. I've had a lot of compliments since I've been wearing this on my nails. Speakeasy* is also very beautiful. I didn't think I'd like it very much as it just seems boring in the bottle but on the nails it converts to a lovely deep grey that has the most beautiful shimmer running through it and when the shimmer hits the lights, my oh my. Gorgeous!
Overall, I really cannot recommend No7 enough for Christmas. Their giftsets are very good and contain amazing products and their Limited Edition Christmas range is absolutely stunning. These products are definitely some of the best I've tried this Christmas! Do you like the look of any of these?
You can view more of No7's giftsets here and more of the Limited Edition Christmas range here.
xxx
*PR Sample

CHRISTMAS: Liz Earle Christmas Advent Calender

This is quite possibly the most exciting thing I've ever seen in my life. It's no secret that Liz Earle is my favourite skin care brand. I've tried out (and loved) pretty much every single product that Liz Earle has to offer. The brand is natural, beautiful and my skin absolutely loves it. So when I found out that there was a Liz Earle Christmas Advent Calender* I actually let out a little scream. I was the most excited I've been since getting tickets to see Justin Bieber in concert earlier this year.

Look at all of that beautiful-ness in all of its glory - exciting, right? This advent calender allows you to enjoy a treat every day in the run up to Christmas. I don't know about you guys but winter really does ruin my skin so I'm pretty excited about being able to pamper myself with a new product every single day! Behind each of the 24 doors there's a mini skin care, body care, hair care or fragrance treat! I'm really glad that Liz Earle have included everything (other than make up) as it brings variety and if you're new to the brand, you can try out the best of their products! I do wish that they had included a make up product as their make up is lovely but I guess it'd be hard finding a shade that  appealed to the masses.

I haven't opened my advent calender yet. Which for me, is an achievement. It's currently sitting on my kitchen worktop saying "open me, enjoy me" and taunting me every single second of every single day. But I'm not going to cave in. So unfortunately, I can't tell you what's inside as I've been trying to avoid everything that tells me. But I do know that The Sunday Girl wrote a blog post showing what's inside the advent calender which you can see here if you're curious. Instead of opening and showing you all what's inside now, I've decided that every day once I've opened a door I will post a blog post linking back to a previous review (if I've reviewed it), an updated mini review, pictures and of course, how I've used it to pamper myself that day.

This advent calender doesn't come cheap though, as you've probably guessed. It retails for a whopping £100 but I've come up with a list of ways you can justify the spend...

• It does work out a lot cheaper than buying all of the mini products together. Each of them retails for around £5 each which means that it's worth over £200.
• It's a great way to try out new skin care products that'll benefit you and make you look all beautiful and sexy on Christmas day.
• You deserve it! And it is Christmas after all.

Also, make sure that you keep an eye out on Liz Earle's Pinterest page as each day throughout December Pinterest users will get the chance to receive a full size product which you will find behind each door in the advent calender. Entering is easy; all you need to do is repin Liz Earle's festive pins each day! And if you're on Facebook, you can use Liz Earle's Christmas Wish List creator!

You can find out more about the product and buy it for £100 here.

What do you think about this Advent Calender? Or beauty advent calenders in general?

xxx

*PR Sample



CHRISTMAS: Wilkinsons

Another Christmas post for you today! And this time it's from a store that I love because the quality of the products don't reflect on the price. You can get some amazing bargains from Wilkinsons and the quality is on par with the more expensive brands. You can follow my Christmas 2012 series with this label. 

Rebel False Eyelash Set* (£2.00) - This set is such a bargain! £2.00 for two pairs of eyelashes is so cheap. I've tried the lashes out and they're not the best lashes that I've tried but they're certainly not bad. Also, the glue is clear which is great as you don't have to wait for the glue to dry clear. One of the lashes is quite natural while the other one is very dramatic so there are two different looks to try out.

Rebel Lip Gloss Duo* (£1.50) - When I first saw this set I immediately thought that this would make a lovely little gift for a young girl who was first getting into make up. But after I'd tried the lipglosses, I actually ended up loving them myself. The colour payoff isn't great and they don't last that long on the lips but they aren't ticky in the slightest. They're actually one of the most moisturising lipglosses that I've ever used - competing with higher end brands. I actually keep one of these in my bags now because they're great for slicking on the lips and not having to worry about your hair getting stuck in your lipgloss.

Little Birds Bath Crystals* (£1.50) - Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try these out yet as at university, I don't have a bath. But this packaging is so cute and once again I think that this would make a lovely stocking filler for pretty much any female. Young girls will love them but then so will your grannies!

Wilkinsons do some lovely Christmas gift sets for him, her and even pets. You can check out their entire range here. I'm also going to go to Wilkinsons for Christmas decorations for my flat as everything is so cheap! You can see their decoration and tree range here and here. Here are some more of my favourites -

Top to bottom, left to right - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

What do you think of Wilkinson's Christmas range?

xxx

*PR Sample